Legend of Spyro: Path of Delusions
by Elander
Summary: The story begins right after Malefor's defeat, the Dragon Realms are saved from total destruction, Spyro has directd the fate of the era into a new age of prosperity. Everything seems to be finally on the right track, like in the books about great heroes who always achieve "...they lived happily ever after" ending. Will Fate guide Spyro along the same road? Only time will tell...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there, I'm new around here but most likely drawn to this place for the same reason which brought today's veterans here-to allow other people to take a sip from your imagination.**  
** There are some things you should know if you are planning to read this humble work of mine:**

**I'm not a pro and I don't plan to become one in the nearby future, this is just pure hobby, so you are reading this story at your own risk:P**  
**English is not my mother language so most likely there are going to be some grammar errors, sorry for that, I just hope it is redeable, if not feel free to thrash me:P **

**Since I've posted this story on another website so I know there are mistakes made in some of the chapters, I try to correct them at the best of my ability but unfortunately I have very limited time and you know how it is, when you sink into writing it all makes perfect sense to you, you discover later that what you scribbled is actually incomprehensible gibberish;P I'm exaggerating of course, it's not that bad (at least that's what people told me:D) rest assured I plan to revise my chapters if I find the time.**

**Most important thing, this story is completely improvised, I'm creating it from the top of my head, there is no plan or whatsover. Just like you I don't know what's going to happen next, that's why I'm rating this M, just in case. Hopefully it will be a cool ride for you just like it is for me.**

**I'm currently working on chapter 17 of book 2, if you guys will like the story I'll be dropping here a new chapter every now and then.**

**Enjoy!(Hopefully:D)**

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The Legend of Spyro: Path of delusions

Book I: A new world

Chapter 1

The cover of the book flipped open revealing the first of its many pages. Its beautiful text clearly visible under the yellow light.

_He watched her go shaking his head, he wanted to follow her but exhaustion finally took control, he could barely keep himself standing and just after she disappeared around the corner he collapsed. The young dragon regained his consciousness on a floating piece of marble floor, around him there were chunks of rock hovering in the air, not far away he could see another fragment of the floor, the same fragment he woke up on was spinning wildly in the air, right past it he could discern rough edges of a solid ground . This was an eerie place._

_"Hello? Is anybody there?" Asked Spyro with a _glimmer_ of fear in his voice_

_"Do not be frightened young dragon, you are not alone." Answered a calm voice coming from nowhere_

_"Who are you? What is this place?"_

_'I have summoned you here so that you might be warned.__The ____Celestial Moons are counting down__ and time is running out"_

_Not sure what to make out from all of this Spyro cautiously took a few steps backward, suddenly strange voices started to whisper all around him__,__ their shrill sound piercing his skull . Spyro tried to shake them off but his attempt was futile, they didn't stop to torment him, they were getting lauder and lauder he couldn't stand it ._

_"Make it stop!" Spyro yelled__._

_That was exactly what happened, the floor he was standing on stopped floating, the hovering rocks all around him froze in place, the whispers ceased their torment, everything was still expect for the floating floor fragment in front of him. To the young dragons surprise the fast pace of the floor fragment when he took a glimpse of it for the first time was replaced now by slow rotation__,__ it was enough to make a jump for it and reach the ground past it__.__ Spyro waited for the right moment and without any second thoughts he ran as close to the edge as possible extending his wings and leaping into the air. It wasn't long before he reached the slowly rotating fragment, without wasting any more time he gained speed and jumped to reach the solid ground that was now clearly visible in front of him._

_"How did that happen?" asked Spyro confused about everything he had just experienced_

_"The purple dragon can wield many abilities that others can not including time itself" replied the same calm voice he heard early_

_"Learn to master this ability" it continued " and you will be able to see things almost before they happen, but use this gift sparely only when circumstances demand. Manipulation of time is not to be done without the utmost care" with that warning the voice went silent again_

_Spyro nodded in understanding_

It was a beautiful day, the sun was perched high in the air its beams illuminating the landscape below. It was a wonderful sight, leafs where slowly dancing in the soft breeze, birds sitting on branches were singing softly in perfect harmony, underneath the broad-leaved trees in an open space illuminated by the sun on a light green grass one could see many different kind of flowers already grown up and many of them still thriving. Wild animals where going about their business, some deers chewing the grass slowly others took care of their young, a fox chasing a hare here a pair of boars there, running blissfully in the forest. Peacefulness of this place was invigorating. The tranquility occasionally broken by a female laughter heard in the distance.

Of course the wild inhabitants of this place didn't mind those interruptions, a bear was standing in a shallow water staring at it watching for any movement of the many fish that swam underwater, it was keeping vigil for any stray fish that came close enough so it could catch it and devour it happily. On the other side of the riverbank a frog with a typical stoic demeanor was sitting minding its own business it didn't matter that the female laughter was getting lauder, it didn't care about such trivial things, its only concern was to watch for any insect that came close enough so it could catch it with a fast lash of its long tongue and swallow the poor thing.

It was a perfect day for the little frog, the abundance of insects ahead was appealing, and just when another one was coming within the range of its tongue, a sudden gust of wind created by a black shape startled the frog and blew it into the water with a laud splash.

She was flying close to the surface of the crystal clear water her body moving in perfect harmony with the flapping of her wings, her graceful and agile moves made flying look like it could be done with much ease. She flipped back to check what is happening behind her.

"Come on!, I won't wait for you, make it a challenge at least!" laughing- Cynder teased the shape behind her

After that innocent nudge she flipped again renewing her escape. Cynder plunged one of her claws into the water creating ripples alongside its surface. Still smiling she removed her claw and when the ripples disappeared she briefly looked at the water, her reflection clearly visible on its clear surface.

Cynder is a black dragoness with magenta underbelly, she has emerald colored eyes and six silver-white horns on her head, a blade-like tail made of iron and blade claws on her wing thumbs, Cynder's wings have magenta membranes. She wears two silver bracelets on her two front paws and a silver "choker" on her neck and her tail, below the "choker" on her neck she wore a necklace in the shape of a snake. Cynder has also white markings on her head, back, shoulders and around her eyes. All that gave her a somewhat ominous look.

"Just you wait!" she heard a voice coming from behind her

The green frog finally managed to resurface, it made its way to the same spot it was blown off before, adopting its stoic demeanor it sat on the riverbank.

It was a perfect day for the little frog, the abundance of insects ahead was appealing, and just when one of them was coming within the range of its tongue, a sudden gust of wind created by a purple shape startled the frog and blew it into the water with a laud splash. Again.

Spyro followed in her wake but he lacked the fluid and elegant moves Cynder had, so when he popped out of the forest at incredible speed and made his way alongside the crystal water he couldn't keep his balance, the momentum he achieved made him yank a little bit to his right side this made him plunge his right paws into the water loosing speed in an instant as a consequence of this small mistake. What Spyro lacks in agility he makes up for in raw strength, after he recovered his stability he made a couple of powerful flaps with his wings to regain the previously lost speed in mere seconds. He impulsively took a glimpse at the water, seeing his reflection for a brief moment.

Spyro is a purple dragon with gold underbelly, he has amethyst colored eyes ,two gold horns on his head and fins of the same color that start on top of his head and run along the whole length of his body ending with a gold sharp tip on his tail . He has two big gold wings with brown membranes . A necklace in the shape of a snake was wrapped around his neck.

They set up the track for this race hours ago, this wasn't their first run around this route, but no matter how many times they passed through it Spyro just couldn't make it perfect every time, oh how he hated maneuvering around those trees, and she knew it.

Nevertheless, this time wasn't that bad, once when he was just about to leave the forest he accidently bumped into a tree branch with one of his wings, the impact sending him straight into the water. Another time he was flying with incredible speed and when he just thought it would be a good run the momentum he gained didn't allow him to turn fast enough, instead of running alongside the water he crashed directly onto the ground, sliding and rolling around the mucky riverbank always ended with him being pinned upside down to a tree trunk leaving him dirty and with some scratches and bruises. Cynder always came back to check up on him and to make sure he was alright, after she was completely sure nothing was wrong giggling- she threw some words about how clumsy he is, her remarks made him flush in embarrassment.

To make it fair, after that wretched part of the race a tall rocky slope was coming into view, this was a sector that Spyro liked the most, after you reached its base the only possible way was up, there were no obstacles on that path, no trees, no twisted branches you had to dodge, just an open space. This was the perfect moment to take advantage of the trait that Spyro used when flying- power. He has fallen behind after that mistake earlier, but not everything was lost yet. He started flapping his wings with as much strength he could muster at that time, the precise movements of his wings created really strong gusts of wind allowing him to speed up quickly, every time his wings went down he stretched his body as far as he could, this simple moves allowed him to push harder.

He was gaining on her, after a while he could make out her feminine silhouette forming ahead, the sight made him push even harder. It wasn't long before he caught up with her, when he was at her waist-height, she turned her head to look at him, a sly smile clearly visible on her face, she didn't say a word she just poked her tongue at him. Realisation came too late, he was so focused on outrunning her he completely forgot about one obvious thing- the rocky slope wasn't infinite. The display of power was not the only reason he gained on her so fast, she was slowing down. It wasn't long before she turned right at the end of the slope while he shot up straight to the sky, it took him a while to dispose all that speed he accumulated during his wild chase, he hovered in the air for some time, looking down, he saw a black dragoness crossing a long straight scorched dash on the ground that represented the finish line, with a sigh he made his way towards her.

Cynder was jumping around in circles with joy.

" Told you I would beat you" she said when she noticed Spyro landing in front of her

"You didn't beat me, it's a draw, the final score is 4:4" he replied with a small smile on his face "besides I gave you a head start"

"You wish!" Cynder exclaimed laughing

Both young dragons were panting lightly after their strenuous effort, after all, that wasn't their first race. They made their way towards the outcropping overlooking the valley where the winner could collect the prize. They didn't think about anything fancy the prize was just another way to tease a little the losing side.

"Off you go" Cynder dismissed Spyro with a wave of her paw and a mischievous smile while she sat at the end of the outcropping.

At the beginning both of them used to complain when they lost, never wanting to move when an image of a rest was so close, exhaustion and aching wings or muscles used as the most common excuses. The pain was there of course, but it wasn't as lingering as they made it to be, and since Spyro lost this time he complied without saying a word.

He had experience so It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, there were some green patches of land with different coniferous trees on them, at the base of their hunks plenty of bushes were placed one right beside the other, there were dozens of them, berries and raspberries were growing some of them were already picked clean- as a result of too many races, but there was still plenty of them to collect.

Near the bushes in a little hole on the ground covered in an icy mist was laying an item they called the basket, that was no ordinary basket, in fact that wasn't a basket at all, it was a quite appreciable round stone with a small cavity in its middle that Spyro made using his earth element by carefully sending a little earth missile since he didn't want it to make a hole on the other side, in the cavity dried juices from all those fruits they collected were still clearly visible, he made the handle by finding appropriate branches from the nearby trees he then pressed one of them to one side of the stone and covered it in ice then he pressed another one to the icy end of the first branch and used his ice breath again, he repeated the process until he reached the other side of the stone, it was a delicate work that's why the basket was lying in an icy hole so the handle wouldn't melt away. The whole basket thing was Cynder's idea, her ingenuity came in handy once again. It was a crude work- yes, but it served its purpose.

Spyro picked the basket and hung it around his neck, its icy handle leaving a refreshing and enjoyable chill. He made his way towards the bushes where the delicious fruits were growing, he started picking and putting them into the basket, every now and then swallowing one with great appetite, their sweet juices dealing with the growing thirst pretty quick, it wasn't long before the basket was filled with berries, satisfied ,he made his way back to the outcropping.

She was still on the same spot he had left her, laying on her back with her eyes closed and her mouth wide open awaiting her well-earned reward. He sat next to her, he reached out to the basket , picking the nearest fruit- carefully to avoid squashing it , with the fruit in his paw he moved it in front of Cynder and slowly began lowering it towards her mouth, the moment she felt the fruit getting close she snapped it really fast, the unexpected move made Spyro to impulsively withdraw his paw so he wouldn't get bitten by these sharp teeth, giggling she opened one of her eyes to see his reaction.

'You really enjoy it, don't you?" asked Spyro, smiling, the irony in his voice clearly noticeable

"Well...yeah" replied Cynder with an evil grin

She closed her eye and opened her mouth once again, she was ready to receive the next portion of the sweet fruits. Spyro was moving his paw even slower than before so he wouldn't be caught unaware if Cynder would try that trick again, she never did, but the slight tension sometimes made them both to chuckle. This was a simple reward really the winner's only concern was to find a proper space to laze about while the loser had to collect the fruits and feed them to the victor.

Cynder licked her mouth "Mmmm they were delicious, you did well" she patted his side with her paw

"I'm glad you liked it, still I don't know how you didn't feel the worms"

Cynder's eyes went wide open "What worms?!" she exclaimed

'You know the little slithering green things that you find in fruits sometimes, I was too tired to clear them off so I thought it would be a nice payback for all your teasing" said Spyro with a wicked smile

Cynder knew Spyro to well, he wouldn't do a thing like that to her but he used the moment when she was lost in bliss catching her unaware

"Thanks for ruining the moment" she pushed him making him tilt a little.

Spyro just chuckled in response.

After a while she pulled herself up and sat next to him, from here they had a good vantage point on the terrain below.

Valley of Avalar, this is here where they resurfaced after they defeated the Dark Master in his lair, how did they manage to get here was a mystery, but honestly neither of them cared, the evil that plagued this land was gone, they were both alive and together and that was all that mattered.

The valley itself was one of the most fertile places found in the Dragons Realms, many kind of tree tops dotted the greenish ground, they differed from one another, some of them were big and broad leaved while the others were thinner, through the land numerous rivers were flowing downhill from their rocky slopes, in the distance a waterfall could be seen, from their view it appeared like streams of milk rushing down the tall mountainside eventually ending in one of the rivers below, at the base of the mountain range they could see an empty space every now and then, probably a cave serving as a safe haven for many wild animals or hermits that lived here.

There are probably more valleys besides this one out there, but they never had the chance to explore during their adventure. If they didn't knew better both of them wouldn't even imagine that this land was struggling to fight off darkness.

They sat in utter silence watching the landscape that stretched ahead for quite some time.

"You did it" Cynder said with a soft tone breaking the peace

"Seems like it" answered Spyro with a clear sadness in his voice

"The stories had some truth in them after all"

"I wouldn't make it alone ,I had help" he gave her a knowing look

" I know I just didn't want to brag" the little joke made him small shyly

Spyro was no common dragon, he was THE dragon, a rare breed born once every ten generations. According to prophecies purple dragons are destined to bring justice, peace and hope to the Realms. Those dragons also have an unique ability to master and wield several elements like Fire, Ice, Earth and Electricity including Time itself, while all other dragons are capable

of breathing one particular element. Besides these common elements purple dragons can also harness an element nobody else knew was possible namely they can impulsively master the element of Convexity theoretically a mixture of all four elements they posses, this devastating attack comes with a price though, Convexity drains all the users energy leaving him extremely weakened.

Not every purple dragon believed in prophecies, Malefor also known as The Dark Master thought that their destiny was to destroy the world, to prevent it from happening Spyro and Cynder fought a severe battle with Malefor in his lair eventually defeating him, but the process of destruction had already begun the world was falling apart and when it seemed that everything was lost Spyro unleashed all his power healing the world in the final outcome. Their journey lead them to the outcropping they were sitting on right now.

"I just wish everyone could see it" the sadness in his voice almost palpable

Cynder immediately knew what he meant by that.

Ignitus the Fire Guardian served as the father-figure for Spyro, he saved the purple dragon's egg from the Dragon Temple when it was invaded by the Dark Master's army by sending it down a stream. Years later Ignitus lead the remaining war Dragons against the Dark Armies but in the end he lost that battle, driven by shame he exiled himself to the Swamp, where years later a very young purple dragon found the distraught Fire Guardian in his hiding place, he instantaneously recognized the boy, he was the purple dragon he saved from the attack all those years ago, the meeting rekindled the flame of hope in the old dragon and lifted him out of his despair. He provided Spyro with words of wisdom, lead him onto the right path and when there was time he taught the purple dragon about the element of fire.

Three years have passed after the Night of Eternal Darkness when they finally met again in the dragon city of Warfang. It was here where Malefor declared his plan to destroy the world by resurrecting The Destroyer a monster that emerged from the volcano below Malefor's Lair. His lair was nothing else than the Dragon Temple, after The Dark Master seized control of it he raised it above the volcano as a symbol of his dominance.

The Destroyer is a legendary creature it is said that it brings about a new age and world by destroying the old one, of course nobody from Warfang wanted to find out if the stories were true. It has the ability to form a wall of fire wherever it walks known as the Ring of

Annihilation. Once it has completed its journey around the globe and returned to the from whence it came, the creature would spread the Belt of Fire across the surface of the world in a torrent of fire and ash, issuing the earth's destruction.

When The Destroyer began to spread the Belt of Fire across the surface of the world, determining that they will be unable to catch up to the titan Ignitus ordered everyone to venture underneath Warfang to set up an ambush to stop the creature before it completes its circle around the globe. The army of Warfang confronted the titan at the dam, a tough battle took place, many lives were lost and much blood was spilled, eventually Spyro and Cynder managed to get inside the creature's body where they destroyed a black crystal at its center that probably served as a heart, but they only stalled the creature instead of stopping it completely ,it was probably controlled by The Dark Master himself by some evil means, after the brief pause the titan continued onwards.

When the plan failed Ignitus took Spyro and Cynder to the Belt of Fire to confront Malefor. Upon arriving he generated a barrier around them to protect all of them from the heat as they began to cross it. The Belt of Fire was possibly created by the dark magic of The Destroyer because not even a Fire Guardian as powerful as Ignitus could withstand it. The Fire Guardian struggled to keep his barrier around them up, but the dark power of the Belt of Fire was beginning to overpower him, knowing they wouldn't make it Ignitus with the last ounce of his strength threw Spyro and Cynder to the other side sacrificing himself.

The death and sight of his mentor being devoured by flames made a deep and almost devastating impact on the young dragon.

" It's not your fault Spyro, that was his decision" she looked at him with concern in her eyes

" I could have stopped him, there had to be a different way it was my duty to find one without endangering any of us"

"There was no other way"

Tears started forming in his eyes " I failed him Cynder!" he exclaimed "I failed the person who taught me everything, who believed in me from the very beginning, and how did I repay him? I've let him die!"

" You haven't failed anybody and especially Ignitus, just look around" she waved her paw across the landscape that surrounded them " You did more than just repay him, you saved all of us, he would be proud, he sacrificed himself so you could go on, there was nothing you could do"

He lowered his head "Then why I feel guilty?"

"Because Spyro you always blame yourself when somebody gets hurt, even when you can't do anything about it, you can't protect everybody"

He raised his head, the pupils in his eyes narrowed" I sure can try" the sadness in his voice was replaced by pure determination

She smiled kindly " Of course you will, but no matter what", Cynder leaned closer "remember that you will always have one black dragoness who trusts you completely" with that she softly kissed his cheek

Cynder's reaction took Spyro absolutely by surprise, his eyes went wide open as he turned to face her with a shocked expression. She was watching him closely, her tail wagging back and forth nervously, the iron blade- like tip creating minor sparks as she accidently ran it across the surface of a small rock.

He looked at her, the emerald eyes were focused on him, the first thing that crossed his mind the moment he took a glance of them was how pretty they are, but there was something else in them as well, he wasn't completely sure what it was, uncertainty perhaps? Whatever it was he ignored it. He couldn't help himself he was staring in her green eyes maybe for a couple of seconds but it almost felt like an eternity.

Everything around him vanished, the mountains, the trees, the waterfall, even the noise the animals were making, it was all gone, a dragoness with emerald eyes in front of him only remained. The longer he gawked at her the warmer he got, he couldn't say a word he was so choked up, the only thing he could sense and hear was the frantic pace of his heart, it almost felt like it was demanding to be released from the clutches of his chest. He subconsciously started to move his head closer, Spyro didn't notice it at first but there was something else he could feel out there besides his increased heartbeat, a familiar tingle had been crossing his body and it was getting stronger. He didn't care, the young dragon was focused on something else entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A sudden thunder broke their trance, the noise it created made them both jump. Spyro and Cynder turned their heads from side to side looking for any signs of movement. Last days were not kind to them, the constant fighting against the Dark Army caused their instinct to kick in at any unexpected sound, alerting both dragons instantly.

They prepared their defensive positions. Muscles tensed, pupils narrowed, tails frozen in place, they were ready to repel any attack heading their way. Another thunder could be heard, black clouds covered the sky instantly, making daylight turn into night. Rain followed soon after, and an intense one at that, obscuring vision as a result. The undesirable change of weather made both dragons even more strained. They were watching their surroundings expecting that soon something will jump at them from the dark. Nothing did.

It took them a while to relax but they were still on edge it all happened so fast that neither of them noticed the weather getting worse . They couldn't linger here any longer, the harsh rain made them cold and dripping wet almost immediately.

That moment they had earlier, it was something special for her, that was another hint she gave him about her feelings, she really cared for him and it was quite obvious this feeling was mutual but in her case it was something more than just simply taking care for his safety, Cynder didn't want to pry. Those past months really brought them closer, fighting against almost impossible odds, helping each other in difficult times, even the little teasing, all those things made them the best friends and she didn't want to lose it.

Over time her affection for him evolved, she never expected it but there it was, the feelings she bestowed upon him were getting stronger, she tried to conceal them as best as possible but slowly it was driving her mad. After some time, as subtle as she could manage, Cynder started showing Spyro hints about her romantic feelings towards him. Only when everything seemed was lost, the world was collapsing and Spyro was making a desperate attempt to save it, she built up enough courage to finally reveal her love for him.

After they have resurfaced in the Valley of Avalar the first thing Cynder did was to look at Spyro with a meaningful expression hoping for an answer she couldn't wait for much longer. She never received any. Instead of saying the words she wanted to hear he was chattering about the battle with Malefor, the surroundings and many other things. She didn't pay much attention, Cynder was happy they made it out of course, but that was not what she expected, nevertheless she forced herself to smile, it was a fake glee of course but he didn't notice.

She realized back then that she was living in a fool's paradise, the words she craved for won't be coming, but a glimmer of hope still remained. Cynder was deluding herself, maybe with all that happened lately his thoughts were wandering somewhere else and after he would cool down he will finally concentrate and spit it out, but in never happened. Resigned she decided to give it a rest for the time being.

There were times she stopped sometimes ,lost in thought and stared into who knows what. Spyro always kept asking her if everything's alright and every time he caught her like that she tried to tell him how she felt about him but could never do it. Time and time again she felt a lump in her throat whenever she made an attempt to say it out loud. Cynder always hemmed and hawed eventually saying that she is fine. It was doubtful that he believed her, Spyro was naive sometimes but he wasn't stupid, luckily he never inquired further.

Occasionally when Cynder looked at him she wondered if he feels the same way about her, It was niggling her constantly, she really wanted to find out but she didn't want to be intrusive and make him uncomfortable, besides that she even didn't know where to start. Cynder always managed to regain her composure before curiosity got better of her.

Everything was fine and under control for the past hours until she kissed his cheek. Cynder never planned to do that, not after all these failures earlier, they always prompt disappointment, sadness, even anger in her, and she didn't want to feel the same way so quickly again.

That time Cynder couldn't help herself and despite her better judgment she decided to act even if she would regret it later probably. It was somehow different then, he was lost in grief, Cynder tried to console him, she had seen that her words helped him overcome it, but she wanted to show him that there is someone who really cares about him. Cynder never kissed him before, all those failed attempts earlier weren't really helpful in boosting her courage, but there it was and hell it felt right.

The moment she saw his shocked expression when he turned to face her made all her good emotions fade away, doubt taking their place. Cynder couldn't stop gawking at him, and judging by the look on his face she staggered him quite a bit. It was here and now when she will finally hear his answer even if just by watching his still startled expression she thought that she already knows it, and it wasn't a good one.

Then an unfamiliar sensation run through her body and that damn thunder struck ruining everything. She was really vexed after that unwanted interruption, but this time she was far from giving up since it was so close. Calming herself a little Cynder decided to act, tenderly this time. She was scared that she would push him away if he didn't share the same feelings for her . They were the best friends after all and a stifling atmosphere between them was not needed, but she HAD to know.

She lowered her head a bit "Listen Spyro there... there is something I need to ask you" Cynder said with a wavering voice "I can't wait much longer, the anticipation, it's... it's been boiling inside of me for quite some time and it's driving me crazy"

He was standing a little farther away, he's back facing her. Surprisingly there was no reaction from his side. Cynder furrowed her brow, she expected that she will catch his attention but he didn't move an inch, anyway she made her decision and there was no backing up now.

"My behavior lately? I know I have been acting weird after we got out" she raised her head "but I have a really good reason!" she bit her lip "_Perfect, that sounded like a kid explaining his wrongdoings to his parents" _she thought_ "act like one and he surely will take you seriously"_

Cynder cleared her throat and lowered her head once again " I mean... the thing is... you are my best and only friend Spyro, and I don't want to lose this friendship" she shoot a glance at him. He was still standing in the same position, motionless.

Cynder didn't know what to make out of it. Is he waiting for her to finally ask that question so he can confirm that he feels the same way about her? Or is he thinking about an appropriate way to say that they should remain friends to avoid hurting her much? Either way he's not very helpful in this situation.

Cynder sighed " I know this isn't the best time right now" she moved closer to him " you probably figured out already where this is heading" when she was right behind him she continued " I really care about you Spyro, and it's more than just a simple concern for a friend."

Cynder raised her head to have a good look at him when he finally turns to face her, she didn't want to miss even the single grimace on his face. " It was these feelings I really struggled to hide for the past days, and I have been wondering if..." Another thunder struck, Cynder flinched, the noise it created startled her a little.

It had to hit when she was just about to ask the question that troubled her for some time now. It was like a warning, she could swear she heard it screaming "_What are you doing?! You don't want to know!, Give it a rest!, You will regret it!" _Cynder shook her head, focusing anew she continued " I have been wondering if...if..." she took a deep breath "if you feel the same way about me?"

There it was, she finally said it, everything will be clear now. After all these trials and errors she will hear his answer at last. This was the moment of truth and it was inescapable this time, even if he would wanted to avoid this little confrontation she wouldn't let him , not after all these difficulties she had to face to get to this particular moment.

She was standing behind him making little circles on the ground with her claw, watching him intently, and waiting impatiently for his reaction. She didn't know how long she was staring at him, minutes maybe? Nevertheless he did not move, not even an inch he was still standing in the same position, frozen.

"_Maybe he doesn't know what to say? Maybe he doesn't know how to react?"_ there was a slight turmoil going on in Cynder's head. She waited a little longer but there was still no response. She had enough.

"Spyro?" she called him as gentle as she could manage. Still nothing. She raised her paw "Spyro?" Same thing. "It's ok, you can talk to me, no matter what you will say I promise you won't hurt me" That was a lie of course but a necessary one, she wanted to make it easier for him.

Like previously, nothing happened. Cynder extended her paw towards him, she had to get his attention somehow. The moment her claw made contact with his scales, he jumped and turned around quickly ready to defend himself if necessary. He relaxed when he saw it was only Cynder and not some bloodthirsty enemy. She was standing there clearly baffled with her paw still in the air.

" Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you" Spyro said when he saw her expression

"It's... it's okay" she muttered. "Not really what I expected but at least you are looking at me now" she added with a sarcastic tone

He blushed and lowered his head " I didn't realize that I have been standing there for so long"

"Spyro you don't..." before she could finish her sentence he interrupted her

" After I was sure that nothing will attack us I've started to ponder about the things that happened lately and I guess I've lost the track of time" his voice becoming more hectic with every word he spoke

"Spy..."

" I know we should have found shelter by now with all this weather and stuff since we are getting cold and wet..."

"Spyro..." Cynder murmured

"...But it all happened so fast! and I really didn't see it coming and as you know I'm really giving some thought about things that happen so unexpected aft..."

"Spyro!" she exclaimed. The sudden noise quieted him down instantly. Cynder sighted "You don't have to explain yourself"

Her remark made him blush even harder. Spyro realized he overreacted a bit. He took a deep breath to calm himself a little.

" Sorry, I'm slightly nervous , because I felt a strange sensation when we were sitting there and I was looking at you"

Cynder's eyes sparkled when he said that. " Relax, you can tell me everything" her voice soft

" I know, I just didn't want to make you uneasy so promptly , not after everything we went through. You deserved some peace"

She smiled slightly " Peace can wait when there are more important things "

" I expected that you wouldn't mind, besides even if I wanted to I couldn't keep it bottled up for long anyway"

Cynder didn't say a word, she was just standing there and watching him as expecting he will say something

" I don't know how to start so I'll just say it straight and plain"

His words visibly stirred her but she still remained silent

"The thing I've felt back there it was something special and it didn't pass away with the moment, I can still feel it rousing in me" After a brief pause he added " Cynder..."

She leaned closer "Yes?"

"Cynder did you also felt that tingle right before the weather changed? It was weird but so familiar!" he said with clear excitement " I can't really think about anything else, it's bugging me I need to find out what it is"

Cynder reared her head "WHAT?!"

Spyro looked surprised " Then you didn't feel anything?"

She was standing in front of him with her mouth opened, speechless

" It seems that it's related with me somehow, I swear that I've experienced it before, I just need to figure it out and..."

"THAT is the thing you were holding back from telling me?!" she snarled

Spyro's expression a mix of astoundment and confusion " Pretty much. Why? Was there something else?"

" You want to tell me that you weren't listening to me?!" little green flames escaping her mouth as she spoke

Before he could say a word Cynder added with a threatening manner " And Spyro think thoroughly before you answer or I'll do something unpleasant, and I promise that I won't hold back"

The way she said it made him gulp. Cynder is a fighter with a temper meaning that you don't want to get on her bad side when she is angry. Right now she seemed pretty agitated, to make things worse Spyro had no idea what she was talking about. One thing was clear though, if he wants to save his hide he needs to come up with an answer, a good one in fact and fast.

The first thing that came out from his mouth was some incomprehensible gibberish. "_Great I'm done for"_ he thought. Luckily she ignored it.

Spyro cleared his throat " I...I...I always listen to you Cynder you know that, you are the best thing that ever happened to me and... and..". Spyro suddenly was lost for words the little stress must be the reason. He closed his eyes readying himself for the inevitable. Nothing happened. He opened one of his eye to look at her, she didn't move, her eyes intently focused on him.

He sighed with relief " What...whatever happens I'm always here, your problems are mine problems. I admit that I sometimes miss the obvious things, it's just that some things are more important than the others, and at that time when everything happened so fast my biggest and only concern was your safety".

She was still tensed and staring at him, it seemed that his words didn't calm her even a bit, she still looked pretty angry judging by the little cavity on the ground below her that she made scratching with her claw, but at least she didn't pounce at him. He dodged a bullet, for now.

"More important?! You wouldn't say that if you would pay attention to what I'm saying" Cynder's voice still full of anger

" I'm sorry Cynder, I'll make it up to you but it's not the right time for it now, the weather is terrible and we should really be going to find some shelter"

" No, you are not getting away that easily. You..." before she could finish another thunder struck but this time it sounded like it hit right above them ,illuminating the sky with a flash of bright light. The noise was intimidating making them both wince as if in pain.

Spyro looked up " Can it wait?" After he didn't receive any response Spyro lowered his head to look at her " Cynder, please" he added with a pleading tone

She was watching him in complete silence, he could notice that her mouth was twitching, struggling to keep all these words that rushed through her head from escaping. After a while she just turned her head and snorted. A less popular way to agree with someone.

Spyro was grateful that she backed down "Come on, let's go"

The vision- breaking harsh rain that accompanied them through their little struggle intensified even more. It has obscured vision already, but now it was almost impossible to see anything. The ground and surroundings were only visible some meters ahead of them. The rain prevented them from keeping their eyes open, making the already difficult situation even harder. Both dragons had to keep their eyes half-closed , it was uncomfortable but necessary, that was the only way they could move.

Flying was a risky option in this weather, the intense rain made them feel already like they were getting buried alive below its many drops just by standing on the ground. If they would leap in the air no matter how good both dragons felt in the sky, they wouldn't make it far. It would have been a difficult struggle to maintain balance, high, distance and many other things. That would have been a tiresome and unsafe ordeal. No, it was an unnecessary risk.

Risk or not they would have reached their destination faster that way, even if the flight would probably end just after few meters but at least they would have made their way down from the tall rocky slope they were on right now. Spyro in his caring nature for everybody's safety didn't even take this option under consideration. They would have probably ended with an injury or two and he wouldn't have any of it, not if he can prevent it.

They decided to travel on foot instead, it will take longer to descend this slope but it was undoubtedly safer. They were moving almost with their noses to the ground carefully taking every step, occasionally looking up to see what's in front of them. It was a sluggish pace and the sporadic glances they threw to see what's ahead weren't really helpful in speeding it up. The darkness that came with the weather effectively concealed the surroundings and the intense rain hindered every attempt to pierce it.

It would help greatly if they knew where they should be going, whenever they wanted to go to do something else or just start another race they just glided down from the slope, neither of them bothered to look for a way that lead down from it without the usage of wings. What for?

For situations like this for example, when something unexpected happens that ruins everything it would be a nice thing to have another way to resolve such troubles. Since they were too lazy to do it, now it's the time to pay for this negligence. The complete darkness and the rain wasn't their only concern now, to make things worse a wind came as another unwanted guest and since they were on high ground it felt pretty strong and cold, sending shivers through both young dragons. Perfect.

Trembling they made their way to the closest edge, slowly to avoid slipping and falling down. just when one of their claws couldn't find solid ground they stopped next to each other and leaned over the age. They scanned the rocky wall to find a path that would lead down but from what they could make out there was no visible one, at least not from this side.

They bounced from one side of the outcropping to the other but they didn't find anything, even if there was a path, they couldn't see it anyway. After a while they gave up, there was no need to waste any more time on it , they didn't have any luck from the start and it was unlikely that it would change now. There were no shortcuts so they didn't have any other choice but to reach the second familiar place on this slope, maybe they will find something there.

They could make out the forms of the many coniferous trees they both were quite acquainted with still standing there. Their idly and calm existence destroyed by the restless gale. It was dragging their crowns behind it, like it wanted to rip the trees from the ground and force them to accompany it. With all of them tilted to the same side they looked like many arrows pointing a single direction, showing the dragons where they could find a way down.

Spyro and Cynder followed their advice, they had nothing to lose anyway. The pace they started with didn't change, it was still pretty slow but at least it was a calm walk. That is until one of Spyro's steps made an audible splattering sound. The noise made him stop immediately, he raised his paw close to his snout. It was damp and covered with dripping red liquid, this couldn't be blood it wasn't thick enough, no it was something else.

He sniffed and licked his claw, a familiar taste aroused his palate, these were the juices of the many berries that grew around here. Spyro looked behind his risen paw and the sight in front of him only confirmed his suspicion. Below him he could see the remnants of a purple berry, it squashed completely under his weight, some of its juices still spilled on the ground but they won't remain there, before long the rain will wipe them clean. Spyro focused and scanned the ground around him, there were plenty of the sweet fruits scattered everywhere. The wind made a short work of the bushes throwing their little inhabitants all around the place.

They walked in the direction the trees showed them every now and then a splattering sound could be heard when they accidently trampled another one of the fruits, it was nearly impossible to see all of them in this dark.

They've been heading in that direction for quite some time, if you won't count the fruits it was a uneventful walk. The landscape didn't change even a bit, there were still trees and bushes on both sides while the middle was a rocky terrain. With every step they took the land felt more inclined and steep, a sign that they are getting closer to the edge.

They moved even more slowly now since there didn't want to trip over these many small rocks or just slip, not with the ground getting steeper and steeper with every step. They rocky ground they were walking on was turning greener and small roots were visible on it and they were getting bigger with every meter. With the steep ground they assured a good and solid foothold.

Spyro was leading and everything was going pretty smooth, well as good as it could go considering the situation. Whenever he wanted to reach another root he made sure he got a good grip of it. Spyro extended his paw and thrust his claws into the root slightly of course to avoid weakening it, he had to make sure if its strong enough to hold his weight. They were old from the looks of it but surprisingly enduring. It was a tiring and very tedious process but at least they were moving forward.

Spyro took a deep breath before he made another attempt to reach one of the roots. A little pause to catch some breath and a quick rest for his aching muscles. There was no turning back now, there was an end of this slope ahead, the image of it giving him new strength. It was a slow pace but a steady one.

The noise created by the rain, wind and occasional thunder was almost deafening, that's why he didn't hear a sound coming behind him. Spyro was concentrated on reaching the next root, this one was quite far away but it wasn't unreachable. He stretched as far as he could, more than once his claw slipped from the moist root leaving only scratches on it, instead of getting a good hold of it. He sighted and tried again, he told himself that this time he will make it, and probably he would if a loud snap wouldn't break his concentration.

Spyro immediately aborted his attempt to reach the root and started to listen intently .There was another snap and another and then a couple more. He looked back just to see pieces of roots flying everywhere but that wasn't the thing that caught his attention, a hardly noticeable black shape quickly slid past him emitting what he thought was a muffled scream. Spyro just stood there dumbfounded but it only took him a few seconds to realize what's happening.

"Cynder!" he shouted and without caring for his own safety he jumped to his right side releasing his paws from the foothold and slid after her.

He saw her shape in the distance, she was bouncing, jerking and wiggling in every possible direction. Every time she landed on her belly she placed her front paws on the ground trying desperately to find something to hold on to. Her efforts were in vain, the speed she accumulated on this slippery and steep terrain was so high that her damp claws sent sparks, remnants of grass and shattered pieces of the smaller roots flying while leaving only scratches on the bigger ones.

Spyro was quite a way behind her, he had some difficulties maintaining his balance without jerking from side to side but for the most of the time he slid on his belly, the same position made him gain speed really fast. He wouldn't be able to do that if not for Cynder, Spyro intentionally was sliding on the same path she was- well most of the time. She left cinders in her wake, mostly the route was pretty clear, there were no smaller roots which could slow him down. The only annoying problem he had was the wet grass sticking to his snout making him spit when it got to his mouth, he didn't even bother to wipe it off, there was no time for that and besides with his wet paws he wouldn't be able to do it anyway.

Every now and then he noticed some blood stains on the ground or the bigger roots, she was clearly hurt, that wasn't surprising really since she collided with every possible thing, it had to leave a mark. Spyro had some difficulties also but nothing drastic, she was getting the worst of it. He could hear her muffled screams and grunts of pain as she struggled to gain control of her body. Cynder's battle with the environment left him mostly a clear path expect for the bigger roots, they were quite a pain. From his perspective there was also a bright side to all that fighting she did, it was rough but it made her to slow a bit.

Spyro was gaining on her. The roots on their path were getting bigger and bigger but they weren't large enough to actually stop either of them. She was probably to focused on trying to find a good grip to notice it, but if they could slide a bit to their left they might find a root big enough to actually stop them. It would hurt A LOT but it definitely was a better option than falling off the cliff and trying to fly with this strong wind and rain. It was impossible to predict what the nature would have done with them. Crashing into something was the most probable outcome.

Spyro could tell they were getting close to the edge of the slope since the terrain was more steeper here than anywhere else, not only that, he was quite sure they were also getting close to the source of these roots. He ignored this warning in his head, the only thing that mattered for him was getting Cynder out of this trouble somehow. He had no idea how he will pull it through but he kept telling himself that something will come up eventually. For their sake enlightenment has to come quickly since they were running out of time.

He was sliding behind her thinking about a solution for this situation. A sudden slap to his head broke his concentration. Spyro looked behind him to check what it was but he couldn't see anything. That was not the only thing that felt differently, there was something under his belly and it was quite long since he slid for a while and the feeling didn't pass. He looked down just to see some woody thing, for all he cared it was just another root.

A thunder struck making him raise his head to focus on thing that is actually important. Spyro didn't concentrate on the matter at hand for too long. The thunder lightened up the dark sky for a brief moment and revealed something that caught his attention instantly.

He saw the source of all these roots. It was a massive ancient tree leaning over the edge of the slope with a really wide and tall hunk. From its base sprouted some extremely huge roots that were running in every direction and were getting smaller the farther they were from the tree. It had many branches coming out of its hunk, some of the same size, some smaller but still of considerable mass. It's crown was big, extremely green and leafy, it was like five times the size of a normal crown. Every now and then there was a long woody vine hanging from the branch that held its top.

With the harsh rain the leaves were soaked wet so Spyro didn't even realize he was under its crown. The moment he saw that tree he knew instantly what was that uncomfortable thing under his belly. It was a liana and a really long one. If Cynder would have another one on her path she could grab it and they would be saved. Another thunder struck illuminating the sky and he used this moment to scan the surroundings.

The first thing he did was to look ahead and his eyes went wide. The slope is coming to an end and she is very close to it and to make things worse there was no liana hanging above her. The only visible one was quite far away and it dangled just past the edge. She wouldn't make it if she just fell from the cliff. In front of her he saw a really wide rock, it was flat and inclined upwards, it resembled a ramp. There was no chance she could avoid it now, with the speed she accumulated she will be thrown quite a distance away and maybe it will be enough to grab that liana.

There was no other choice he had to risk it, he felt terrible but he needed to rely on sheer luck this time. Trying to catch her now was a futile attempt, she was too far away and if he would be thrown from that rock behind her there would be nothing left to grab since she would probably hold on to the liana and be blown by the wind to the west. Spyro didn't want the nature to decide about his fate.

_"Blown to the west" _ this thought crossed his mind, that was enough for him to act. With the wind blowing from the east there was a high possibility that the moment she grabs the liana it will tilt forward and then spin with her to the west. He looked left the roots on that side were bigger than the ones he was sliding on, no wonder since the source of them was nearby. Spyro shot a glance ahead Cynder was nowhere to be seen, she was probably thrown away from the ramp. Fear gripped his heart, he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her. Spyro was consoling himself that she will make it, they knew each other inside out after all. She HAD to make it.

He was getting close to the flat rock ahead he needed to act fast. Spyro covered the ground ahead with ice and when he was about to reach it he forcefully tweaked his body, the icy ground made him spin around. The moment his back faced the edge he grabbed the liana under him, now the only thing he needed was to make it drag him to the right. He raised his head and released a fireball lobbing it. Spyro lowered his head a little, waited a bit and released another fireball but this time in a straight line.

He aimed them at the left side of the place the liana was hanging, quite a distance away from it, he didn't want it to burn down. He hoped he aimed properly since it was dark and only his instincts guided him. The moment both fireballs collided they exploded creating a gust strong enough to make the liana twist in the direction he wanted. Spyro felt the woody vine tautening in his paws, it wasn't long before it was dragging him across the ground. He looked back, waited for the right moment and released his grip.

He had seen a root big enough to stop him and it was close to the edge. He planned to gain a foothold there and with luck the liana he hoped Cynder hold on to will spin her close to him so he would grab her if anything goes wrong. Spyro was sliding over roots that were big enough to make him bounce and leave him pretty bruised. Every time he slid over them he ran his claws across them leaving scratches on their surfaces. It was painful but he had to slow down before the final impact, otherwise he will break many bones.

Somehow he was glad he was sliding backwards, colliding with it headlong would have been even more dangerous. He shot a glance behind him his destination was getting closer and closer, Spyro closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact. If not for the deafening weather probably the whole Realms would hear him crashing. It was almost like a boulder thrown from a catapult hitting a wall but this boulder had feelings. Spyro howled in pain the moment he hit the root a piercing pain run through his spine leaving his hind paws numb to make things worse he had difficulties catching breath, it almost felt like something crushed inside of him. At that time he was glad he was a dragon and not a dragonfly, dragons had a natural resistance to pain any other race would probably just splatter and end as a stain on the root.

He didn't have much time, despite the horrible pain he pulled himself together. He got on his hind paws and started scratching with his claws at the top of the root, it was smooth and plain there wasn't anything to hold on to. He wanted to make a cavity in it so he can place his paws there and lean over the edge if things go drastic. He was coughing terribly and it was difficult to maintain balance with the numbness in his paws, Spyro felt the feeling slowly returning to them but in the meantime he sometimes slipped from the root but that didn't stop him from trying again and again. Someone was counting on him if things go bad, and he won't fail, not this time.

He made holes big enough for his paws to fit, he placed his still pretty numb hind paws there and waited for her. Spyro narrowed his pupils and watched the dark expanse ahead, he needed to be ready when he will discern her form, but he couldn't see anything. Honestly he had no idea how much time has passed but it felt like minutes and it shouldn't take that long for the liana to spin towards him with her holding on to it, he should have seen her by now it was taking way too long. "_What if she didn't manage to grab it? What if she slipped? What if the wind had blown her away before she could reach it?" _this and many other bad scenarios crossed his mind. "_What if she DIED?_" the moment he thought about that he felt a void in him sucking the life from him. Guilt, despair, fear were overwhelming him, after Ignitus' death another one who he was close to was gone. He closed his eyes, he felt truly alone now.

Spyro was losing control of himself, negative emotions where taking control of him and with them a powerful dark influence that brewed inside in him was coming to life, a powerful and sinister magic. Spyro couldn't stop it not that he wanted to anyway maybe it will ease his pain and somehow find her and bring her back to life. His purple scales where turning black it started from his paws then it made its way higher and higher. He doesn't have anything to lose now anyway.

The turmoil in his head took all of his concentration that he didn't hear a muffled sound coming from ahead. Spyro gave up what will be will be, then suddenly he heard something, he didn't really care what it was but it was getting louder. Reluctantly he opened his eyes and the image he saw made all these negative emotions fade away instantly, his scales turned purple again, the darkness that was taking control vanished, he felt like a weight was lifted from his heart.

There were some good and bad news from what he could see. The good news is that Cynder was tightly gripping the woody vine just as he hoped she would, the bad news is that she was slipping, she won't be able to hold on much longer and definitely she won't reach the ground. Spyro was glad he prepared for this situation but still he was scared, it will be a painful collision and judging from the sound of her screams she was pretty terrified also.

When she hit the wall of the slope she groaned loudly, he winced he could almost feel the pain himself. Spyro leaned over the edge as far as he could without losing his foothold and extended his paw towards her so she could grab it. To his surprise she didn't do anything, he saw how her tightly closed paw over the liana was opening. Instantly he leaned even more just enough to catch her paw before she fell. He felt his hind paws slipping from the cavity but he didn't care.

Spyro held her paw tightly "Cynder!" he shouted, but there was no response, he called her name several times, no reaction. The impact had to stun her. He felt her weight dragging him down and with his hind paws slipping from the cavity he didn't have a solid foothold to pull her up, without the additional load he would make it but no matter the consequences he won't let go.

He needed to get a reaction from her somehow. Spyro stung her paw with his claw, nothing. Then he gently thrust his claw into it, same. He used a slightly more strength making her bleed a little. This time she shook her head, her senses were coming back to her. Cynder looked at the wall in front of her and then raised her head, the moment she saw Spyro holding her she firmly gripped his paw.

She started to smile slowly " I knew you'd here, now pull me up!"

He looked genuinely hurt "I... I can't"

Cynder's smile vanished "What do you mean you can't?" Before he could say anything she already knew the answer. Cynder felt that she was slowly going down instead of going up. She was dragging him down and if she won't do something they both will fall. Cynder looked at the wall, then down and then again at the wall.

She touched it with her free paws and raised her head "Let me go"

Her words made him sad and very upset " No! I'll never do that!"

"Stop being so melodramatic, I think that I can climb these roots here but I need my fourth paw for that"

Spyro looked at the wall he had no idea how he could miss that. The roots were running in every direction. Some were straight, others distorted, many run parallel to each other, another ones were running perpendicularly and some of them were running crosswise. On closer examination they formed a net-like structure, with care it was possible to use them to climb down.

Spyro noticed that she found a good foothold and grappling point with her free paws but that didn't stop him from holding her last paw tightly. Even if it was safe to let her go he had problems doing so. She once again looked at him, his expression speak volumes, the wound was still fresh and situations like these only rubbed salt into it.

"It's okay Spyro you can let me go, I'm not going to fall" Cynder's voice full of concern.

He looked like he didn't hear her, only when she repeated herself with more firm tone he complied. Cynder felt as her paw was getting free from his iron grip even if he was doing it slowly and reluctantly. The moment her paw broke free she used it to grab the nearest root, Cynder urged him to follow her as she slowly began to descend.

Without the extra weight dragging him down Spyro placed his both paws on the wall, the solid surface helped him to move his paws backwards along it, eventually pulling himself up. When he was again on the top of the root he pulled out his hind paws and threw himself behind it. Spyro leaned over it and sighted in relief the whole stress came out of him instantly. He took a deep breath, well at least he tried to, the moment he inhaled the air he coughed. A surge of pain struck him at his right side, impulsively he placed his paw there, he could feel quite a swelling.

He tried again to deeply inhale the air but it resulted in the same painful cough. Dragons are pretty resistant to pain and injuries but they are not immune, experience like this constantly reminded him of that. He felt like he could only take shallows breaths, that crash had to end with an injury or two, broken or cracked ribs were added to the many abrasions, bruises and scratches. He had enough for one day he just wanted to rest now even for a short while.

"Spyro you coming or what?" a female shout came from below postponing his resting plans.

Spyro sighed he knew he couldn't leave her there and whining wasn't in his style, besides with this weather it wasn't a good idea to stay so high in the open anyway. It was too steep and wet to get up, Spyrp gritted his teeth and despite the pain he started rolling over along the root to his left. Every now and then he groaned slightly when he irritated the already tender spot on his right side. The root that stopped his slide was big and sturdy but it wasn't long. It took him only seconds to reach its end. Now the only thing left was to climb down.

Cynder didn't go far before shouting at him, she was achy and wanted this struggle to end finally and since they found a way down from this slope it shouldn't take long to reach the ground and find a shelter. It was better to suffer a bit longer and earn a well deserved rest without any worries for the next day. She stopped her descend and waited for him to follow her, judging by the noise coming from above he was trying to find a way down. Cynder was inpatient but she didn't want to lose him from her sight again.

The roots she was holding on to were solid but also quite big and uncomfortable. In some places they formed a pattern that was either to tight for her paws to fit or there were spaces big enough to make her stretch before she could reach the next root. It wasn't a simple climb but Cynder and Spyro were experienced climbers they had to overcome more difficult walls in their adventures.

Cynder was watching with half-opened eyes the ledge above her, he should be coming down any minute now and she was right. It wasn't long before she saw some distance away from her a purple tail with gold tip and small gold fins hanging from it. He moved slowly and carefully looking for a good foothold with his hind paws, it didn't take him long to find it, his front paws followed soon after.

Instead of going lower Cynder moved in straight line to be closer to him, they weren't lucky this past time and in case things go bad they would be able to secure each other, better be safe than sorry. He was descending very slowly, from the looks of it he was wounded, she couldn't really focus on him with all the rain coming from above. He probably wanted to rest a while that's why he didn't follow her straight away, and she rushed him. Just by looking at him everyone could tell he was in quite of pain, Spyro had a pretty rough ride himself but he was there to help her and after everything he wasn't allowed to rest even for a while, how could she done such a thing? Cynder felt really bad about it. She wasn't in top shape either she couldn't really tell where she was wounded, it hurt pretty much everywhere. She waited for him to catch up with her, this time however she didn't rush him. She could hear him coughing when he got close

"Spyro are you alright?" Cynder asked with clear fear in her voice

He coughed again "I'm fine don't worry" his voice almost a whisper

"Yeah I can hear that"

"This? This is just a sore throat and don't mind the coughing, I'm probably ill the cold got me it seems" He smiled weakly

"You are a terrible liar" she sighed" I'm sorry Spyro its all my fault, if I have not cracked that damn root you would be fine"

"It's not your fault, I urged you to move in the first place remember?"

"Liar" she smiled lovingly

Spyro chuckled slightly "Lead on there has to be a ground nearby" Cynder nodded and continued to descend.

She was climbing down slowly, that was everything she could do for the moment. She tried to make up for her clumsiness that caused him to suffer like this. Cynder concentrated on the matter at hand, the only thing that broke it was a cough coming from above her. After a while she didn't allow the sound to take all of her attention, she won't make the same mistake twice.

Back there Cynder focused only on him, she was mad at him that he didn't hear her, she built up enough courage to try again and he didn't LISTEN to her. The longer she was looking at him the angrier she got, it would be different if he would just say that he doesn't feel the same way instead he avoided the confrontation, just like that. Just remembering this moment made her boil with anger that she didn't notice that she created holes in the root with her claws weakening its structure. The moment she stepped on it with all her weight it broke and with the wet and steep terrain she gained high speed almost instantly making every attempt to stop herself impossible.

Cynder shook her head, it was enough, there was no sense to dwell on it any longer. To their surprise the climb was uneventful so far, a desirable change after all that near death experience. After climbing down so many roots Cynder gripped one of them tightly and stopped to catch a breath before trying to reach the other one. She lowered one of her hind paws to find a root below for a foothold but she couldn't feel anything. "_Another one"_ she sighted and stretched herself farther and farther but still she couldn't feel anything. She returned to the starting position, breathed and tried again, still the same thing. She looked down but couldn't see anything, with nothing else to do she tried again but this time she slipped, the tight grip around the root prevented her from falling down. The moment her paw slipped she saw below her some faint light, Cynder quickly run her hind paw across the surface of the slope. She knew what that light was, her fast move made her claws to scratch alongside the slope creating small sparks instead of sending some woody elements flying. That meant only one thing- the root wall ended.

"Stop!" she yelled and the purple silhouette above her stopped moving "There are no more roots below me"

"Are you sure?" asked Spyro pretty shocked that their struggle to reach the ground was almost over

"Yes I'm sure"

"Do you see the ground?"

Cynder looked down and concentrated but she couldn't see anything but that doesn't mean that she didn't hear anything. A sound caught her attention so she started to listen intently, the raindrops were hitting something solid, rocks maybe?.Cynder could hear also some faint splashing sounds.

"No but there's definitely something below us, I can hear the raindrops hitting something and some splashing sounds"

"That has to be a river or a pond!" Spyro yelled happily, his rapture made him cough terribly

"Don't strain yourself" she remarked him "There isn't anything to hold on to, we have to fly"

"After you" answered Spyro unhesitatingly

The rain was still pretty harsh but at least the wind wasn't so strong here , just an another proof that they've descended quite low and the ground has to be near. Cynder bent on her paws almost hugging the remnants of the roots, and then extended them and leapt of the wall, she used the strength the simple move provided to jump away from the wall as far as she could. When she was in the air she spun around so her belly would face the ground below her and extended her wings. It felt wonderful, after all these walking, sliding and climbing her paws needed a short rest. The rain and wind were taking their toll on her, but she managed to maintain balance. It was tough but since she needed only to glide down it was practicable.

Cynder didn't flap her wings even once, she let the wind carry her. The moment she leapt from that wall she was doing little circles in the air, Cynder was getting lower and lower with every new one. Their assumptions were correct, after a while Cynder had seen the thing they both couldn't wait for any longer. Earth, a green earth stretched below her and after spending so much time above ground it was a welcoming sight.

When she landed she raised her head just to see if Spyro was doing ok. He was, and it wasn't long before he landed next to her. Happy that they both reached the ground safely they immediately started to look around. Spyro was right the source of these splashing sounds she heard was a small pond. On their left quite far away they could see a pretty dense forest, on their right however the terrain was pretty empty, only some small hills, a river and a tree every now and then were visible. It seems they landed in a space between two slopes since that was what they could see in front of them. All of this was unimportant however , the thing that caught all of their attention was a opening in the hill ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Without any second thoughts they've entered the cave. It was pitch dark in it, the darkness covered every wall, every corner and more importantly the ground below them, they could grope but it wouldn't make any sense at all. Being able to breathe fire Spyro immediately knew what to do, a one strong flame would be enough to illuminate probably the whole cave. He tried to inhale deeply, but the effort only caused him to cough painfully.

He let the pain to fade away before taking a shallow breath, the moment he inhaled the air he focused a little to make a connection with his elemental energy dwelling inside and breathed little flames out of his mouth. If somebody could see it, they would never believe he was the purple dragon who defeated The Dark Master. The flames were pitiful but it was everything he could do without suffering. As weak as they were, they at least provided a little light, it was enough to see the ground below their paws.

They were both moving slowly and carefully, in their adventures they already stumbled upon caves that looked safe at first glance but they turned out to be deadly traps. Some of them had almost undetectable cracks on the ground, once they had found a troll in such a cave its blows caused the ground to subside creating a bottomless pit which dragged the creature down and both dragons would share its fate if not for their survival skills. Others for example looked like they had really solid walls but one misplaced earth missile was enough to cause a cave-in. Another caves had a really high placed ceilings and since they are usually dark it was impossible to see what was up there, they thought it was safe until a horde of orcs started smashing the walls around them with their clubs in a fury, only thanks to their instincts or luck they managed to jump away before they were skewered with the green creatures by the many stalactites that came rushing down from the darkness above.

This time however they didn't have the comfort of knowing what was around them. The slow pace was tedious for both of them, but they have been looking for a good spot to rest as far as possible from the entrance and the chilling breeze outside. Cynder was tired and was getting really annoyed by yet another obstacle that prevented her from resting ,and this sluggish tempo didn't help her to cheer up either, judging from the way he moved his tail he was pretty agitated also. Spyro was doing his best with his condition, he would probably push harder if she had urged him to do so, but Cynder never did, she felt guilty, he had suffered enough because of her. She remained silent the whole time since they were walking in this cave, until she accidently kicked something, it was enough to tip the scales.

"It is pointless" Cynder finally burst out "we will never find anything with this light"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but that is everything I can do without spitting my lungs out" Spyro replied irritably

"That's not what I meant" she sighed" just wait here ok? I'll be right back" with that she turned around and made her way towards the exit.

The moment she stepped out of the cave she scanned the ground around her looking for any twigs or cracked branches that would serve as a good tinder. Unfortunately she didn't see any near the cave, the wood was not the only thing that she looked for. Cynder also needed some rocks, and since they were in a spot between two slopes they were pretty abundant here. She dragged the nearby rocks with her paw towards the entrance eventually creating a small pile in front of the cave.

She took a sip from the pond before venturing into the woods. Like almost everything here the forest was located on a small rise, it was really dense and quiet. The bad weather already blocked every sun ray but in there below the many tree tops the darkness felt thicker. Cynder was no coward but she wouldn't dare to venture deep into it, maybe they defeated the evil that plagued the Realms but that didn't mean that some stragglers couldn't be hiding in there.

Cynder decided to stay on the edge of the forest maybe she was paranoid but if her fears would have any truth to them in her shape she would have difficulties defeating a bunch of trained killers. Safety comes first. Clearing her mind from all these bad thoughts she began her search, she didn't have to look long there were twigs and some quite big branches lying everywhere but finding a dry ones ,at least a little, was a different story. She walked around for a bit but after a while she gave up, the intense rain covered everything in its wet coat.

Cynder picked up some twigs and threw them off the small slope she was on, thanks to the wet terrain they slid and stopped just before the cave. Twigs only won't do, something bigger was needed, there were some branches here as well, they weren't long but at least they were thicker. Nevertheless she needed to make them shorter carrying and dragging them intact didn't make any sense since they wouldn't fit in the campfire she planned to do. She instantly knew how to make them smaller.

She turned around, her back facing the branch and raised her tail, the iron blade-like end cut through the wood just like a knife cuts through butter. She started chopping the branch bit by bit, kicking the pieces down from the slightly steep ground with her hind paw. One branch wasn't enough it will be already hard to lit it as it is , if she would prepare more pieces they could be left lying next to the fire to dry up a little, and put into it when needed, that way the fire would be burning longer.

Cynder placed some branches next to each other before starting to chop them down, she didn't want to waste any more time. Just when she was working on the next branch something stirred her, she instinctively looked ahead at the forest covered in darkness. Nothing. She shook her head and continued working. After a while she felt something again, she looked at the forest-nothing.

"_Becoming insane is the last thing you want" _ she thought and renewed her work. Cynder finished chopping down a branch and got into position to start working on the next one. She couldn't help herself, she occasionally shot glances at the forest ahead and every time she did that Cynder felt the feeling getting stronger, besides this unnerving sensation she could also feel that her heart was beating faster. A strong wind howled through the trees making a wind chime noise that made her jump a bit.

"_What's wrong with you? It's just a wind pull yourself together!"_ she comforted herself as best as she could but no matter what thoughts crossed her mind she didn't feel better. Another branch landed under her tail, this time however she kept an eye on the woods ahead . Cynder started to sweat and with every passing moment her heartbeat increased. It may be only her imagination but with every blink of her eyes it looked like the darkness that covered the woods was getting closer and closer.

There were still some branches to take care off she needed to HURRY, Cynder didn't even finish the last one before moving to the next, she was so focused on the darkness she didn't notice that after chopping down a piece her tail was hitting the ground most of the time, but it didn't matter she was convinced that she did it right. Cynder started to quiver and a feeling of stuffiness struck her, she stopped working when she heard a howl probably created by the wind.

She stared at the woods ahead, her heart pounded at her chest with such a force that it was almost painful. The uneasiness was growing inside of her and it was getting stronger with every passing moment. She stared ahead without moving an inch, that is until she heard a sound coming from the right side of the forest. Cynder turned her head immediately in that direction to see what caused it. Another sound this time from the left caught her attention, soon she heard another one in front of her. They sounded like whispers or faint growls and they were coming from every corner of the forest.

Cynder stood there and turned her head in every direction, she froze when she had seen a pair of glittering red dots that appeared in the darkness, after a while many others penetrated the dark curtain . The darkness was closing in on her as if it wanted to embrace her, some fast moving dark shapes were visible on the ground just at the edge of it. Cynder couldn't move she was paralyzed, she watched the darkness moving closer and closer ready to consume her. Just when it was close enough that she could touch it if she wanted to, a huge and horrifying monster with red eyes appeared making her moan with fear. She was trembling and staring into those eyes, Cynder wanted to run away from it as far as possible but she couldn't move, only when it emitted a terrifying and deafening roar she snapped out from her paralyze.

She instantly took some quick steps backwards completely forgetting that there were branches behind her. Cynder tripped over one of them, she could see her own tail a couple of times just right in front of her eyes as she rolled down the small slope. Before she could do anything the little rise ended and moments later she hit a stone wall. Cynder fell on her back dizzied but her eyes automatically moved in the direction of the forest. The red-eyed beast roared again from the slope and started walking slowly towards her, the darkness following in its wake. The vertigo passed away instantly at the sight of that monster.

Cynder got up in mere seconds and turned to face the creature, she didn't know why but she HAD to look at it. Cynder's heart was racing and to make things worse she could feel a sharp pain in her chest that intensified the longer she stared at the beast. She tried to retreat but something was blocking her way, she didn't even look behind her to check what it was. Cynder sidestepped quickly trying to find a way to bypass the obstacle, the moment she felt an opening she started to back up again.

For every step the creature took towards her she did one backwards, she was staring at it intently watching its every move. They were doing it for who knows how long but everything has to end eventually. The creature was walking faster and faster with every second it looked irritated about this whole situation, enough playing games it was closing in for the kill. Only when it pounced after her Cynder turned around and started to run, she didn't make it far she had troubles breathing and the pain in her chest was unbearable. Cynder stopped, panting heavily she lowered her head, she had difficulties catching breath Cynder tried to inhale as much precious air as she could, but what for? The monster will tear her to shreds soon enough.

She looked behind her ready to face it for the last time but to her surprise there was nothing there. She thought she had lost it but the glee ended as quickly as it started. The red eyes appeared again she yelped the moment she saw them. Cynder started to run instantly but this time she didn't look behind her, she turned her head to see what's in front of her. The moment she did that a purple snout emerged, she screamed in horror when she saw it.

Cynder changed direction immediately she didn't want to look at it, she didn't care what it was, she just wanted to run away from it, it didn't matter where, she just wanted to be as far as possible from it.

"Cynder it's me!" something shouted behind her it sounded familiar but she didn't stop to see what it was.

Her strength was fleeting she could feel it but she didn't stop. Something grabbed her tail and it was pulling her backwards. Cynder pushed forward trying to slip away and at the same time she wagged her tail violently, trying to shake this thing off, after a brief struggle she succeeded her tail was free, the moment she was trying to get it back to its natural position she hit something with it. As before she didn't check what was it, it could have been a rock or the thing that grabbed her, whatever it was she just hoped it slowed down the pursuers.

Cynder was running slower and slower but the sound coming from behind kept her going. She run and run never looking back, avoiding a rock here a tree there, sometimes she slid from small slopes never stopping to catch some breath. She would do it for a bit longer until she would collapse from exhaustion but it never came to that, unexpectedly one of her paws sank into a hole in the ground. Cynder fell on her belly, she tried to get up but her paws were shaking whenever she tried to rise, Cynder couldn't keep her balance every attempt ended with a fall.

This is it then, everything will end right here and now ,her strength left her completely the only thing that remained was the sharp pain in her chest, this time however it was so intense that she touched her chest with her paw as to try to ease the pain even a little. The screeching noise blocked all the sound, only a loud roared penetrated it and it was close it sounded like it came just from above her head. She didn't look up instead Cynder touched the ground with her nose and closed her eyes she could feel the beast leaning over her with its maw wide open any many fangs sticking out of it ready to bite her head off, and a wet drop probably a drool which landed on her back only confirmed it.

Cynder screamed when she felt some cold claws touching her, she never expected it but the sensation sparked the flame of survival in her like it would probably in every living creature, a strong impulsive feeling to cling to life even in the worst circumstances. With renewed strength she started to fight desperately Cynder was shaking, twitching, beating her wings, wagging her tail, kicking with hind and slashing with her front paws just to break free from the claws that held her in place. The only thing she could hear were some annoyed loud growls, the sound of them only made her to try harder. The struggle was going on for some time but eventually she managed to break free by hitting the beast with her wing and giving it a solid kick, not only she could escape now but she also hurt the monster, Cynder heard its painful roar as she started to crawl away from it.

Spyro only managed to emit a faint scream before he coughed painfully several times, tears and pain clouded his vision. He shook on his paws from this anguish, she kicked him in the tender spot on his right side, Spyro had troubles breathing already but now it was even worse. Before he could take only shallows breaths without suffering but now every attempt to inhale the air ended with a cough, he talked about spitting his lungs out sarcastically but now it felt quite real, he could almost feel like they were making their way up his chest and towards his throat. Spyro fell on the ground coughing all the time, the pain was unbearable, also he felt like he was choking he tried to do something about it but the cough prevented any attempt to inhale deeply. He lay there for a couple of seconds fighting with his injuries, after a while the uncomfortable feeling was fading, the pain still pretty intense was subsiding but most importantly he could breathe again, shallow of course but at least he felt the air in his lungs again, he raised his head.

She was still getting away but she wasn't far, he saw her getting up taking maybe one or two steps and falling again, she could only move forward by crawling on the ground. Spyro won't have troubles catching her, she looked exhausted but he underestimated her once already.

"Enough" Spyro murmured under his breath and got up this time however he won't be delicate, he tried twice already and it always ended with her escape and he was dead worry about her, he never seen Cynder acting like this and he needed to stop her to figure out what the hell is going on. No, this is no time to be gentle.

Spyro run after her it took him only moments to catch up ,this time he didn't hold her with his paws only, he covered Cynder with his body pinning her to the ground. As he expected she screamed in terror when she felt his touch, she fought valiantly to break free, trying in every possible way to knock him off of her back but she struggled in vain Spyro was heavier than her and it looked like the fatigue finally took its toll.

"Cynder it's me!" he yelled but there was no reaction from her she was still shaking under him, weaker and weaker with every passing moment as she tried to escape using the last ounce of her strength. Her attempts to run away were futile Spyro knew he controlled the situation, there was no chance she will get away this time.

'It's me Spyro!" he yelled again, Cynder didn't react at first only when he repeated his name again he felt her shifting under him as she was slowly realizing who is holding her.

"Spyro run!" Cynder exclaimed faintly, she didn't even have the strength to scream loudly

"I'm not going anywhere"

"Let me go, let me go, let me go..." she kept repeating the same words over and over again between gasps

"Cynder calm down" he said firmly, Spyro hated himself for acting so cold but she was clearly in panic, tender words won't do much good here

"I can hear it its close!" she yelled and shook violently trying to lose the extra weight and to make enough space so she could slip away

"Hear what?" he asked confused while adding some extra pressure to hold her in place

"It's right behind us!"

Spyro was even more dumbfounded than before after hearing her words, that was the direction from which they came running and he was pretty sure he didn't see anything on his way. Nevertheless he turned his head to look behind him and it was just as he expected there was nothing there.

"It's getting closer!" she tried again to escape

"Cynder there is nothing there!" Spyro yelled so she could clearly hear him

"It's going to kill us!"

" There is nothing there!"

" We need to run its..."

"Nothing's there!" he leaned closer almost resting his head on hers "Calm down" he said softly

"But...but..." she stuttered

"Cynder relax I'll make sure you are safe" his calm words seemed to be working since she slowly ceased to struggle but still remained pretty tensed

"We are going to die" Cynder said resigned ,stopping every attempt to break free, she lay there flat on the ground with her nose touching the earth

"No one's going to die"

" We need to run it's right beside us"

"Nothing's there" Spyro said vigorously

"Why are you lying?"

"I'm not, look for yourself"

"I don't want to!" she yelped

"Cynder rise your head" he said with a soft but also demanding tone

She was panting heavily and trembling unrelentingly Spyro could hear her every breath, at first she was laying in the same position like she tried to ignore him but after a while Cynder started to shift under him and reluctantly raise her head. Spyro slowly backed up giving her some space but still holding her with his paws. To his surprise however when her head was in a position to see everything around her she was still panting and shaking like she didn't really acknowledged what is happening. Spyro leaned closer to get a good look at her face and when he did that he saw the reason why her behavior didn't change.

"Open your eyes" he said rigidly

He had to repeat himself several times to finally get a reaction from her. The moment he saw her eyes he gasped, they looked really unfocused, blurry and dull. The incisive green color of her eyes was gone, someone once told him that everything hides in them, emotions, traits, feelings, even personality a true window to one's soul. Spyro was no expert but if somebody would ask him what he thinks he would say that her eyes were stripped of all these this things. Her pupils were moving nervously in every direction not focusing on anything like nothing existed for them maybe expect one thing he couldn't see himself but surely she did. He could see them moving left , right than quickly returning and suddenly freezing in place, she was staring at something very unpleasant and scary since her eyes were getting wider and wider with each passing second, she started to tremble violently under him this time however she didn't even tried to escape he didn't feel any pressure from her side she was just laying there, paralyzed.

Spyro lifted himself and took his paws from her and it was like he expected she didn't move, he thought that he managed to calm her down a bit and bring her back to her senses since she was talking to him after all. The previous attempt didn't work well, it was close but there was something missing, soon he found out what it was. Spyro sat in front of her trying to block the image she was seeing and to have a good look at her, to his surprise Cynder didn't even twitched. He thought that she didn't recognize him in this state, he leaned closer so she could see him better -still nothing. Her pupils were locked in the same position they seemed like they were seeing through him like he didn't existed. Fear gripped his heart when he got a good look at her eyes, they seemed to be going darker and darker with every passing moment like life was being sucked out from them. It was wrong, really, really wrong.

He took her head into his paws and made her to look at him.

"Listen to me Cynder" despite the fear he said these words with the most adamant tone he could muster at that time

"We are going to die" she muttered

"No!" he yelled "We won't because there is nothing there"

"It's close" Cynder babbled

"The thing you are seeing doesn't exist"

"But..."

He shook her head and yelled "Listen to me!" and without taking a breath he continued " There is nothing there, we are alone here "

She moved her head trying to get a good look at the thing that was supposedly behind him " I see it ,it's real" she said with a wavering voice

Spyro made her to look at him again " No it's not!" he snapped " If there was a threat I would defend you, Cynder you know that"

" Where are you then?!' she burst out " I can feel it, it's holding me"

'That's me Cynder, I'm holding you, you are looking at me now" he said softly

"Then hel..."

"Focus Cynder and trust me nothing is going to happen, you are safe"

Spyro interrupted her before she could continue, he had to convince her that this is all happening in her head and if he would allow her to speak that might make things only worse. Her pupils seemed to narrow and focus directly on him but moments later they again widened and she twitched a little.

" You are safe" Spyro repeated himself tenderly

When he saw that she wanted to say something or when she tried to move her head he repeated the same words over and over again. Spyro thought that this isn't helping, he was doing it for quite some time now and when he was about to try something else, unexpectedly she blinked. He saw her pupils jumping between him and the image she saw behind his back and every time it happened she blinked, clearly trying to discern what is real and what is just an illusion. Spyro didn't allow her to have any doubts by talking to her all the time, he felt like some sort of a guide leading her to reality. Her eyes froze in place she was looking directly at him, this time however it looked like she acknowledged his presence. Spyro saw how color was returning to her eyes and it seemed like life was its partner , it wasn't long before he was staring into these sharp green eyes again he adored so much. Spyro was still holding her head and he could feel how relaxed she was, the whole fear, stress and panic vanished in a instant like they were never there.

"Wow" Cynder muttered amazed

Spyro was just staring at her and lowering his paws down her head until they touched her neck, he heard Cynder gasp in shock when he impulsively stretched her neck and hugged her dragging slightly her laying body across the ground. Spyro squeezed her tightly forming a protective embrace around her like he tried to prevent all these feelings and emotions from escaping again. His unexpected move caught her off guard she was pretty tensed at first but then she rested her head on his shoulder relaxing completely and enjoying the moment.

"Spyro I'm choking" Cynder said ironically after a while

He let her go slowly backing up with his eyes fixed on her. He sighed in relief when he saw her smiling, after everything this sight was even more pleasant than normal.

"Welcome back" Spyro smiled "Don't you ever do that to me again" he warned

"Promise" Cyder said smiling, after a brief pause she added " Thanks Spyro for not giving up and helping me to put myself back together" she said sincerely

" That's what friends are for, you would do the same for me" he replied happily

Cynder smiled and tried to get up but when she moved she grunted in pain

"Whoa" she exclaimed " You sure weight a lot I feel like all my bones were crushed, consider grabbing a salad every now and then" she winked

Spyro chuckled and watched her getting up she stood up she stretched as far as she could relaxing her muscles, after that she moved her tail back and forth like getting used to feeling it again, lastly she unfurled her black wings grimacing slightly as she did that, they took the worst of it since they were the first thing Spyro felt when he pinned her to the ground. Cynder flapped her wings several times just to make the pain go away, after a while she furled them satisfied.

"Come on, let's get out of here" Cynder urged Spyro nodding towards the direction from which they came

"That's it then?" he asked surprised

'What?"

" You were in panic or whatever it was minutes ago, I've never seen you acting like this, and now you will pretend like nothing ever happened?

She sighed " I hit the wall Spyro I just want to lay down and rest, we will talk later ok?"

Spyro wanted to know what has happened here and now but he decided not to ask any questions, she looked exhausted and after everything she needed a moment's respite

"Let's get back to the cave" with that he started to retrace their steps

When he passed by her he saw smiling faintly, it was an ambiguous smile showing that she was grateful he didn't question her here but it also meant that she will have to give him some answers the moment they get there, he won't back down and she knew that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

During their way back Spyro shot quick glances behind him to make sure she was alright, with everything that happened lately he couldn't be too careful. He was wondering what could scare her so much, he had seen her frightened before but never something like this. It was normal to be afraid sometimes, after all they were fighting with creatures armed to the teeth, some of them were even thrice their size and all of them craved for their lives, it would trigger fright in every being. There was a distinctive line between fear and complete terror however, a line that she undoubtedly crossed.

With every step he took the adrenaline that pumped in his veins earlier was slowly vanishing. It effectively blocked every unwanted sensation that could hinder his attempts to help her, not only it aided him on concentrating at the matter at hand but it also gave him an additional strength, an extra endurance he desperately needed back then.

Now it was all gone, Spyro felt his every sore muscle, every wound and every step he took only intensified the feeling of discomfort. Fatigue finally made it presence felt, he started panting and every attempt to inhale the air deeply resulted in a cough he was so familiar by now. His paws were shaking under him, Spyro had difficulties keeping his balance, every now and then his paws bent under him like they couldn't keep his weight anymore. With the exhaustion taking control their normal walk turned to be a plod.

Every small rise, every small rock felt like it was an impassable barrier, normally he wouldn't even bother noticing it they were usually so irrelevant. It was different this time, something that was a piece of cake before now turned out to be a difficult obstacle. Whenever Spyro had to cross over a rock, branch or when he had to walk on a small slope he used his reserved strength to place his paws as firmly on the ground as he could. After a while even the last ounces of his endurance were leaving him.

Spyro as for his age could withstand much, he didn't practice under the watchful eye of the Fire Guardian for nothing. Ignitus' training sessions were harsh and intense, during the exercises there were maybe seconds to catch a breath, and those were the moments that the Fire Dragon wanted him to focus on. He always said that the enemy won't wait for him to rest, breath control is the most important thing in every exhaustive situation. In those situations Spyro always remembered the Guardian's words that were embedded in his mind .

"_You are your worst opponent Young Dragon, no matter how skilled fighter you are if you lose this crucial battle with yourself you will perish before anything can truly begin. Learn to control your body, make it to obey you, don't allow it to take control, force your will upon it by giving it air. Not too much to avoid spoiling it and not too little to avoid making your organism hunger for it. Allow it enough in the appropriate moment, give it a clear signal that there is a reward waiting, make it crave for it and it will prove to you that it deserves the prize. Never become overconfident, know your limit Spyro ,everyone has one ,even a Purple Dragon such as yourself but that's not the case right now. Do you hear that? Another wave of enemies is coming and they won't wait for you, now get up!"._

If there was a situation where he finally reached his limit this was it. Spyro lost the battle in fact he did it a long time ago, she was the only thing that kept him going. Ignitus didn't teach him that, he figured this out by himself, besides his foster brother Cynder was the second person who sparked more strength in him, he pushed harder when her safety was in danger and it didn't allow him to rest until he made sure nothing is going to happen to her. He wasn't plodding now he was staggering, Spyro felt his paws giving away, he faltered and he would probably give up and collapse if not for the image ahead.

The familiar hill came into view and with it a hardly visible opening, a sign that everything will end finally. The vision of relief prevented him from giving up but it didn't give him any additional vigor, everything that was left was to come down this small rise he was one. The moment he placed his paws on the slightly steep terrain they bent under him finally having enough of this strenuous effort . Spyro fell on his belly and slid down the little rise, despite his lack of energy it felt quite pleasant, a moment of recovery for his tired paws.

He was panting heavily, coughing almost all the time and to make things worse he became thirsty. Running, climbing, chasing left him dry, he needed water and he needed it now. After everything he came through the thirst was powerful or at least he made it to be, it was a clear signal he had to replenish the lost strength even a little. Luck was on Spyro's side this time, to his relief he stopped just inches from the pond they've seen just before the cave. Spyro couldn't get up instead he crawled towards it eventually plunging his head into the water.

He drank, and drank, and drank getting as much water as he could into his mouth before swallowing it down. With each sip his belly felt like it was getting rounder and rounder, he stopped drinking just before he burst and rolled on his back. Spyro was laying like that with closed eyes, the previously bothersome rain now really helped him to cool down. Taking quick shallows breaths he enjoyed the little moment of peacefulness, a moment he deserved.

Spyro heard a noise but he didn't have the strength even to look what it was, not that he had to, he exactly knew who caused it.

"Spyro are.. are you alright?" Cynder stood not far from him breathing heavily, she pronounced each word slowly between gasps

Breathing quickly, he just nodded a couple of times without saying a word. Spyro could hear her every breath and every step as she trudged towards the pond. It seemed that Cynder was just as exhausted as he was since he even heard her swallowing the water. When she fell flat on the ground next to him he knew that his presumptions were correct.

"I'm a goner" Cynder's voice muffled by the grass and exhaustion

Spyro looked at her and smiled "Really?" he asked with faked surprise " I wouldn't notice, you look terrific"

With her nose still in the ground she clenched her paw and softly punched his shoulder "Someone is in a joking mood I see"

Spyro chuckled and coughed " So how are you holding up?"

"Better now since I've managed to stand on my paws longer than our hero" she smirked

" Only because I'm injured"

" Hey" she exclaimed softly " I'm wounded too"

" Yeah, but mine wounds are worse" Spyro said slyly

" No, they are not, you just whine too much"

" I don't whine, I just let you know how much it hurts" he smiled

Cynder giggled' "Yeah, it makes so much difference, besides..." she slowly started to rise her head " ...if you can still walk they don't count as ser... Spyro you are bleeding!" Cynder burst out when she laid her eyes on him

"What?" Spyro asked confused but being guided by her gaze he impulsively touched with his paw a spot below his nose. He lowered his paw and looked at it, she was right, there was blood on it. With everything that happened lately and with the pain running through his whole body he didn't even notice that there was blood flowing down from his nose. It didn't make much difference anyway, he was already achy as it is.

"See? Told you mine are worse" Spyro said pretty unconcerned

" Stop fooling around" she remarked him with firm tone "Is it broken?"

Spyro touched his nose, he couldn't feel any pain but even if he did he wouldn't tell her about it anyway " Nope, it's just a nose bleed"

Spyro rolled over and slowly stood up, his paws felt numb and were shaking but he managed to make his way towards the pond. Plunging his paw into the water he started to wash the blood from his snout. After a proper clean-up he squeezed his nostrils to stop the bleeding , with a corner of his eye he saw Cynder watching him, she looked extremely guilty.

" I've must hit the ground pretty bad when I fell down" his voice low and muffled

"I'm sorry Spyro, I screwed up again" she lowered her head in embarrassment " I feel like a burden lately. It all happened because of me, you wouldn't be in this state now if I had just controlled myself"

Still squeezing his nose he turned to face her " Don't say that, you have nothing to blame yourself for, It's my fault if I was more careful I would be fine now"

Cynder shook her head " We both know that's not true, stop pretending that this is your fault"

Spyro was watching her with eyes full of worry and concern, he didn't like seeing her sad like this, the image was almost painful for him. He really enjoyed her company, Cynder's witty and cheerful character, sometimes even her temper made him smile and Spyro always did everything in his power to cheer her up, this time it was no different.

His nose stopped bleeding he could focus only on her now. " Maybe you are right" he heard her sigh " but that doesn't mean you have to blame yourself, you are a fighter pain just follows you around"

He moved closer " Besides you have done more for me than I'll ever do for you that's the only way I can repay you"

"I don't think I ever did such a thing" Cynder answered confidently " but if anything happens like this you don't have to repay me, I hate to see when you get hurt because of me"

"I've got an idea" he laid in front of her " From now on if anything happens unexpectedly and one of us gets hurt while trying to help we won't blame ourselves for it. Deal?"

She looked at him "A bet? Seriously?" Cynder asked in disbelief.

"Yep" Spyro nodded

" Stop joking"

He shook his head "I'm not kidding" Spyro watched her intently "Deal?" he asked with a serious tone without any glimmer of humor in it

"My.. .you are truly serious" Cynder said surprised.

Spyro nodded

He was watching her all the time, she averted her gaze and seemed lost in thought. After a while she looked him straight into the eyes and smiled.

"Deal" Cynder said with conviction.

She stood up and nodded towards the opening in the hill "I don't know about you but I would really want to feel some dry ground finally"

Spyro smiled and led the way but before he entered the cave he turned towards the forest. Before he continued Spyro convinced Cynder to wait for him here, she protested of course but he didn't budge, and when she had seen that, she backed down reluctantly. It all started there and he was scared it might happen again and he won't allow it, not if he can help it. The thought of it only brought back the image of her eyes before him, a void filled his guts and dread gripped his heart when he remembered that moment . Her eyes looked lifeless almost...dead, Spyro blinked several times to forget about it, he couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

He looked behind him just to be completely sure she was there, she was. Cynder shuffled around the entrance and wagged her tail impatiently occasionally kicking a small rock. Oh how she hated waiting, before they became the best friends she used to yell at him whenever he tried to hold her in one place and keep out of harm's way. Back then she got really indignant about it, she always kept repeating him that she doesn't need protection, she's not frail and can take care of herself. Spyro never listened, he kept doing the same thing over and over again until one day Cynder annoyed beyond imagination agreed to stay, maybe because the magic necklaces didn't really allow them to move far from each other . As strange as it may sound he really liked that fighting spirit of hers.

That was not the only thing he liked about her, her jokes, resourcefulness, sarcastic relation with his foster brother, helpfulness and many other things made her almost immortalized in his eyes. If she had any flaws he either didn't see them or didn't want to, whatever the case might be Spyro wasn't interested on finding them anyway. He got warmer and a strange feeling in his stomach occurred only by thinking about her and he couldn't stop it, it was like all other thoughts vanished from his mind only the image of Cynder remained. Spyro liked her, really, really liked her, no one ever had triggered such emotions in him, it was the second time he felt like this, and the sensation only got stronger with each passing second. It was strange but somewhat enjoyable at the same time, excluding the uncomfortable frantic pace of his heart that came with it.

Spyro blinked a couple of times to calm himself, every time he opened his eyes a piece of the surroundings appeared. The hills, grass, trees, slopes, everything was slowly coming back to him as if he had just awoken from a deep slumber. Cynder appeared as the last piece of the puzzle, she was no longer walking from place to place instead she was watching him with her head cocked to one side in confusion. Spyro realized then that he was probably staring at her far longer than just seconds, who knows for how long exactly but it must have been a while judging by her expression. Luckily it was dark and she was standing quite a distance away so there was no chance she could see him turning red instantly. He quickly continued walking towards the forest breaking this awkward moment before she could ask him any questions.

Not far from the entrance he saw what he was looking for, the pieces of wood she chopped down were still laying there untouched. Spyro started walking around picking up the wood and twigs placing them in one place so they could be easily found. It took him a while to find all of them but eventually he managed to do it, he created quite a pile in the end. Before he started carry the wood to the cave Spyro turned around to look at the forest.

He tensed and readied himself to fight if there was something actually there and not only imagination playing tricks on her. Spyro narrowed his pupils trying to pierce the thick darkness that the many trees created, but no matter how long he started at nothing changed, there was nothing there. The forest was quiet but thanks to the weather it looked kinda spooky, there was no arguing about that but even if the woods were an ideal place for an ambush it shouldn't scare her like that.

He knew Cynder better than anyone else, she never acts rashly, if something made her act like that then it has to be really serious. Spyro concentrated even more but the result was the same, the only thing he could hear was the wind howling through the trees. She has never overreacted but this time it seemed that was exactly what happened, Spyro couldn't really accept it, he saw her and it wasn't normal but there was nothing he could do here.

He turned around ready to carry the wood towards the cave but before he made a step he felt a slight itch on his scales, Spyro spun around in a moment and looked at the forest again. He observed it's whole length but there was nothing there, Spyro chuckled he probably overestimated the feeling, he really wanted to find an explanation for her behavior so he took an simple itch for more than it actually was. No matter what he thought he couldn't move, his gut was telling him something entirely different. After all his adventures Spyro began trusting his hunch, it helped him to solve problems in one situations and helped him avoid them in other's.

He focused anew maybe even harder this time, firstly there was nothing there and just when he was about to give up he felt something. It was faint almost at the edge of perception but it was there somewhere in that forest. He concentrated harder but this time a barely noticeable tingle crossed his body, he pushed harder but no matter how hard he tried Spyro couldn't feel anything anymore. He was staring at the woods wondering what it was or if there was anything there in the first place, it might have been only his mind playing tricks on him. He really wanted to find out what scared her so much that maybe his imagination created it. Whatever the reason Spyro kept wondering from where these feelings came from, the itch and the tingle felt quite normal but there was something odd yet so familiar about them, he had no idea what it was but he will definitely figure it out even if it may be only his imagination.

" Spyro is everything alright?" came a concerned familiar voice from behind him

"What?" he exclaimed softly completely confused and a bit startled when he heard it, it broke his train of thought immediately

"I've asked if everything's alright" Cynder stood next to him

"Yeah, yeah it's just that I...I " Spyro stuttered still pretty puzzled but when he looked at her his concentration returned "What are you doing here?" he asked firmly

" Don't get all bossy on me now" ,she remarked him irritated "I've been waiting and waiting but you didn't show up and I decided that enough is enough and went after you"

Spyro shook his head and sighed " Why you never listen to me Cynder, what if something happened to you?"

"Then you would have to catch me again" she smiled provocatively

" And what makes you think I would do that?" Spyro returned the smile

" Oh call it a hunch" she winked" besides you couldn't keep me there for long since you've been acting really weird" before he could say anything she added quickly " yes I know that I should be the last one to say it but you got me worried there, it was just like you were somewhere completely different"

He averted his gaze quickly and looked at the ground "It..it was nothing" he started uncertainty "I've just been lost in thought"

"What were you thinking about?" Cynder asked curiously without any hesitation just after he finished

There it was, the question he would really like to avoid, Spyro didn't know what to say, should he tell her that he was thinking about her, or maybe about the strange feeling when he does that, what if she takes it the wrong way? He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. He felt he was starting to blush Spyro didn't have much time he needed to come up with an answer before she will notice it.

" I...I...I" he cleared his throat " I've just been wondering what scared you so much" his words came out rashly

Cynder sighted "Really?" she asked without any emotion in her voice

Spyro nodded quickly" Yes, whatever came over you it happened here, and I need to know what it was, and I thought this will be the ideal place to look, and this is everything I've been thinking about" he continued to babble thoughtlessly, the last words coming out barely noticeable as he was out of breath

His words didn't seem to have any effect on her "And what did you find?" she asked emotionless

Baffled, Spyro shot a quick glance at her to check if she really meant it, it looked like she did. Sighting in relief he quickly regained his composure and looked at the forest

" Nothing ,I must have been imagining things" he said disappointed

"Happens to everybody" she added indifferently

He watched the forest for a while but nothing new occurred, Spyro shrugged " Let's get out of here"

He turned around and made his way towards the early prepared pile of wood, he saw Cynder with a corner of his eye with her head lowered down, she looked sad and hurt. He was quite surprised to see her like this, he was disgruntled himself but it didn't make such an impact on him. Spyro eventually came to a conclusion that she was more worried about this failure, after all the past events touched her personally.

Spyro took the smaller twigs into his muzzle, one of the branches he impaled on his tail tip by hitting it several times and wrapped his tail around two others to carry them ,the rest he dragged on the ground. Now he was glad that Cynder followed him, he was tired and if he would have to do it alone picking them up wouldn't surely end just in one run but two or three maybe.

When they reached the cave nothing changed in it, the darkness still covered everything. The sound of the wood being dragged on the stony floor bounced from wall to wall and echoed through the cave. Spyro couldn't breathe fire with the twigs between his teeth, he didn't want to drop them, that would only mean that he would have to come back to pick them up later, and that was the last thing he wanted. Spyro had to rely on the tiny flames that were coming out from his nostrils, he always avoided doing so but when there was no other choice he was forced to do it. Dragons usually puff little flames from their noses when in great anger or when they want to intimidate someone. Spyro never did that, he always disliked the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied it.

He knew the way but with the dim light Spyro still decided to move slowly. He already tripped over something once when he rushed from the cave concerned about Cynder's safety when he heard the noise outside, he was sore enough. Eventually they reached their destination, instead of an empty spot when they first came here, there was a circle formed with small rocks. Seeing Cynder dropping some rocks at the entrance he had foreseen what she was up to and since he hated sitting idly Spyro decided to make himself useful.

The twigs came first, on them some smaller branches and lastly even some more twigs. With dry wood and fireplace formed like that a solid flame was enough to lit it. They didn't have neither. Spyro laid on the ground with his neck on the rocks and breathed the little flames from his mouth, with a wet wood like this and pitiful flames it was nearly impossible to start a fire. It would help if they had any dry grass or leaves but thanks to the rain there was nothing like that available.

Flame after flame he tried to lit the wood and with every new one he got more bored and annoyed. Spyro sighed resigned after another failed attempt it was then when he heard a giggle, he shot an annoyed look at the culprit. When Cynder saw his expression she covered her muzzle with her paw hiding her smile and shrugged innocently. Spyro shook his head slightly and renewed his work.

He heard a muffled chuckle almost every time he failed, the sound only made him even more enraged. Spyro didn't care any longer about the pain, ignoring it completely he breathed bigger flames after every failed attempt. He was getting angrier and angrier with each passing moment from becoming completely furious saved him the tiny flame just right in front of his nose, his eyes went wide when he saw it.

"I did it!" he exclaimed happily releasing all the anger in joy and coughed soon after, the air he exhaled was too much for the small flame, it extinguished it completely.

She couldn't hold it any longer, seeing this situation Cynder burst out laughing. Spyro was just staring at the fireplace incredulously. Confusion, anger and embarrassment growing inside him the longer he gazed at it. The female laugh wasn't helpful either, he tried his best to ignore it but just when he looked at her he couldn't remain calm.

"Ok I give up, if this so funny try it yourself" he burst out annoyed and got up

"Oh come on!"she exclaimed barely hearable, Cynder had troubles catching breath due to laughing "It's not that, you just looked so silly"

Spyro looked at her, her happy expression killed all the anger inside him instantly " Ok I'll try again, but don't laugh this time" he admonished her tenderly and moved to the previously occupied spot

" I'll try" she groaned slightly and placed a paw on one of the painful spots on her body, her abrasions ached a little when she laughed " Look what you've done" still smiling Cynder cleared her throat "Come on, it was close"

Spyro laid down and rested his neck in the same position as formerly, but before he tried to lit the wood again, he looked at Cynder, she was watching him with a broad smile. The image only forced Spyro to smile, he shook his head and chuckled before concentrating on the matter at hand. With renewed motivation Spyro tried again to start a fire, this time however he could smell the burning wood, even if he didn't see a flame he knew it won't take long before the twigs will ignite.

Spyro couldn't be more right, soon after a tiny spark appeared, moments later it turned into a small flame. Not wasting any time he started to lit some other twigs so he wouldn't have to rely on one flame with the still damp wood. After a while another twigs caught fire, Spyro moved his head backwards and held his breath, not wanting to ruin it once again he watched the flames as they slowly started getting bigger and consume the wood.

Spyro was still holding his breath and watched the fire intently, he would turn purple by now if his scales had a different color. The fire was getting bigger and even if it looked safe he didn't want to risk it, there were more than enough failed attempts already. It didn't take long for the other pieces of wood to catch fire, in the end all of them were burning.

The image and inability to hold his breath any longer made Spyro exhale the little air he accumulated in his lungs. With it came a very satisfied and prolonged "Yes" that made Cynder giggle, he spontaneously looked at her, Cynder's expression spoke volumes, it was a "well done" look that made Spyro grin with pride after accomplishing such a feat.

A powerful flame formed itself, the heat it emanated made them both shiver, after spending so much time outside in the rain and the cold wind it was a pleasurable and most wanted change of scenery for both dragons. The fire not only provided warm but also light, with it burning they could look around to finally see what was hiding behind these shadows.

They found themselves in a cave with a low ceiling quite a good place to spend the night for creatures of medium size but impossible to accommodate larger ones. In the edges of the cave they could see stalagmites rising from the floor, some small others pretty big and all of them had a shape of a cone. Just above the entrance there was a big hole, they had no idea how it was created. On the ground there was a small cavity and it ran across the cave which ended in a far away corner of the cave, it resembled some sort of canal and it was filled with water. Also there were some dried blood stains on the floor, some looked more fresh than the others.

The thing that really caught their attention was behind Cynder. There was a low dais at the end of the cave with two completely extinguished fireplaces . At the top of one there was a big cauldron filled with disgusting still green liquid. It looked like it was left unattended for some time, the liquid had to boil once since there were green stains running down the cauldron ending on the on the wood and the rocks below turning them green. Above the other there was a completely roasted hare impaled on a stick, it seemed like it was forgotten also.

Between them on the ground was laying a huge bear skin that probably served as a bed, just beside it was a spear with dented tip. In the corner there was a wooden table with many different items on it. A knife, a flat stone, some sort of a wooden ladle, a bone halfway crushed, a provisional hammer and some other things they didn't know what were used for. Above the table there was a woody vine with both ends stuck in little holes in the cave walls. There were many ingredients tied to it, dangling just at arm's reach above the table.

Claws some sharper than the others, dark bat wings, colorful butterfly wings, fangs, and some other parts they didn't really want to know from where they came from. Besides the leftovers from many different animals there were also many kind of herbs hanging from the liana, and just like the body parts they all differed from each other. A flower with big colorful petals here, a herb with a deep green foliage there, some had big showy blue flowers and feathery leaves, others had thick rubbery tubers. Besides the healthier ones there were also herbs that didn't look so pretty, some were dark , others just by looking at them seemed poisonous, another ones were completely weathered, they just had one thing in common they were ugly and pretty scrawny.

Below the table there were pieces of wood placed one atop the other with utmost care. There was laying a hand-made axe on the top of the last piece. Both dragons sighed, they would save much time and energy if they had noticed it when they first came here. There was a tanning rack standing next to the table with an extinguished torch in the wall beside it . A pelt was already stretched on it with many knife scratches on its surface. It looked like somebody was drawing or writing something on it, at least someone tried to. There were some illegible letters, sentences and drawings on it due to many deep cuts running through them, just as if somebody had an idea, wrote it down so it won't be forgotten, then having a different idea, writing it down and erasing the previous one as deciding it was useless now. Just by looking at the pelt they could tell that someone was doing a lot of thinking since almost all the hide was covered in deep cuts expect for one place. At the bottom of the skin one clearly visible sentence was carved " I NEED IT" these were the only three words that were readable. Next to the rack was a cavity filled with water and a canal running away from it, now they knew where all this water was heading to.

The cave is obviously occupied by someone, judging by the looks of it somebody put much work into it trying to make a cozy place to live in and it seemed that someone did a really good job. That only meant that they intruded into someone's home but they comforted themselves that maybe the denizen had abandoned this living place since everything was in ruins and it was like that for quite some time. Even if they were wrong they both didn't feel like moving again, they were both tired and this was the only cave they could find. Besides they just want to spend the night here and not take this place for themselves. It looked like nobody had come back here in a while so they assumed that they could sleep here without any problems.

Spryo lost interest in the cave after a while and focused on something more important, they both suffered injuries after everything they came through and when there was finally some light he could tell how serious they were. He looked at Cynder her head was still moving from side to side scanning the surroundings, Spyro could see a dried streak of blood running down her neck from a small wound, besides it there were some minor scratches visible, nothing really serious. She had a really big bruise on her forehead, a remainder how painful was the collision with the slope.

Spyro's eyes went lower passing her neck and stopping when he saw a gash on her side some still fresh blood surrounded it but she had to suffer this injury quite a while ago since the wound was slowly closing itself. Cynder was sitting with her left flank facing him, in this position it was difficult to see how badly her underbelly was hurt but since Spyro couldn't see her insides anywhere he came to a conclusion that it was nothing drastic. Her front paw had many cuts some smaller others bigger and all of them were bleeding slightly, no wonder since she didn't allow it to rest preventing the wounds to heal properly.

What really worried Spyro at first was the small solid wooden root protruding from her waist, Cynder was colliding with every possible root during the slide from the steep slope that it was almost certain that some of them had to find a chink in her leathery armor eventually, she was lucky that only one did. Spyro was really concerned about it but then he looked at her and realized that she didn't seem to even feel it, or maybe she does but with all the painful spots on her body one more didn't really make any difference. Either way the idea calmed Spyro, if the root went deep it would prevent her from walking or worse like cut some vital veins for instance. It was undoubtedly uncomfortable to be walking with a wood sticking out from your body and since she seemed oblivious about its existence it wasn't anything severe. The last parts of her body he could see was one of her hind paw and a side of her tail. Her back paw suffered the same fate as her front one, the tail however looked pretty undamaged with only minor scratches visible.

Spyro sighed in relief besides the root and the gash on her side that was already healing she managed to avoid more serious damage. These two wounds looked dire and would probably weaken or even make more fragile creatures bleed to death if left unattended. Dragons however didn't need to worry about such things their fast regeneration precluded things like that allowing such wounds to heal quickly or preventing them from doing any more harm. Every organism has its limits, if a dragon body suffers many deep cuts even their natural regeneration won't help in such cases, even dragons can bleed out. The first thing Spyro learnt about this healing process is to avoid overstraining your organism and everything that gets stuck in your body leads to it, effectively blocking the regeneration from accomplishing and in the meantime losing much of needed energy. That's why it's important to remove such things as quickly as possible even if it doesn't seem dangerous, Ignitus kept reminding Spyro at every occasion when he rushed doing everything he asked him for without taking care of his wounds first " _Always be vigilant because you never know what is hiding behind the corner_". Another lesson he remembered.

"It looks like you had a rough ride" Spyro finally stated after examining her injuries

Her head stopped moving when she heard his voice, Cynder looked at him and if as following his gaze she lowered her head to take a closer look at her body.

She has been moving her head from right to left checking both sides of her form "Wow, more cuts than on a used armor" she said unconcerned

She moved her paws across her body looking for more serious injuries, she only hissed when she touched the wounds that were still quite fresh. It changed when she found something protruding from her waist, the moment she touched it Cynder winced and groaned in pain. Her reaction put him on edge, Spyro immediately got up and was standing near her in seconds.

"Cynder is it that bad? Maybe lay down for a moment? Will you be fine?" Spyro mumbled question after question deadly worried about her, also many bad thoughts were swirling in his mind "_What if the injury is more serious than it looks?", "What if I was wrong and this is a mortal wound?"_

Cynder only smiled gratefully " Relax, it's just a scratch but it hurts like hell"

Spyro sighed in relief and without any second thoughts moved his snout closer to the tender spot.

Cynder didn't hide her surprise "What are you..." before she knew it a chilling air caressed the painful place on her body " Ohhh, now that's a good idea" she moaned

Spyro looked at her and smiled " I knew you'd like it"

" I might need that one more time"

Spyro nodded and focused on the small root again, he saw as her paw was clenching around it. He heard her taking some shallow breaths and just when she went silent Cynder pulled the root out with one swift move. The moment he heard her painful hisses and groans Spyro breathed a little chilly mist to ease her suffering.

" Thanks, you really surprise me sometimes" Cynder said relived that the stinging pain was gone

"That was the only thing that came to my mind"

Cynder smiled 'Thanks again" she stood up "That was everything that bothered me, let's focus on you now, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" Spyro answered thoughtlessly

She reared her back slightly "Is that so?"

He nodded quickly " I didn't suffer any serious injury"

"Let me be the judge of that, lay down" Cynder said firmly

Spyro without any other choice reluctantly laid down on the floor with his left side facing her. Cynder moved closer and examined his body, she finished without saying a word. This was the moment Spyro thought his plan had worked until she circled him and stopped with a loud gasp, she stared at his right flank with shocked expression.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Cynder stated with a loud tone

"What are you talking about?" Spyro turned his head and answered with a faked surprised voice

" Look at this swelling, it's huge" she moved closer to examine it better " How could you not feel it?" Cynder asked concerned and confused

Spyro was lost for words "You know.." he was struggling to find a good answer " with everything that was happening I couldn't really focus on my injuries"

She shot him a quick glance, her eyes seemed to read from his very soul "Oh, really?"

He nodded "Yeah, I have no idea when this could happen" Spyro couldn't look at her, he averted his gaze quickly and stared at the wall

"Breath" she said rigidly

Spyro turned to face her with a confused look "What?"

"I've said breath"

There was something in her tone that didn't leave any space for arguing, with no other choice Spyro took a shallow breath

"Deeper" her tone unchanged

Spyro winced, he felt like a thief who was just about to confess his crimes, he had his back to a wall and only blind hope remained that somehow he will pull it through without her noticing. Spyro started to inhale the air, everything was going fine and when he was almost convinced that nothing's going to happen Spyro felt a sharp pain in his chest and coughed.

Cynder frowned " All this time I thought that you hit yourself badly and you did everything to avoid the pain, but this..." she looked at the swelling "this are broken ribs Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed incredulously

"It's not that bad" he replied quickly

"Not that bad? You have fractured bones and you just walk around" Cynder raised her head to look at him "What are you thinking?!" she exclaimed frustrated

"I didn't feel anything"

'You broke your bones and you want to tell me that you didn't feel it? she kept asking irritated

"Yeah, if you haven't told me I wouldn't even notice it" Spyro answered without thinking

His words seemed to make her more angrier "Your lying, but why are you ly..." Cynder froze with her mouth opened, seconds later her head drops down and her expression changes drastically " You wouldn't be in such a pain if not for me"

" Remember our deal" Spyro quickly reminded her

She stood there with her head lowered down for a while, but moments later she moved, when Cynder set her eyes on him she smiled weakly " Clever"

Spyro chuckled " Don't mention it "

When he laid there on the ground he could feel every part of his body screaming in agony especially his ribs annoyed him, sending surges of pain across his length, demanding attention. They made their point, Spyro looked around trying to find the solution for his problem he thought about earlier. He didn't have to search for long, near the campfire a stone was laying with little ice on its edges, it was bigger than the other ones, just about the size of his paw. Spyro shifted and extended his paw to reach it but it was too far, without no other choice he decided to go pick it up, but just when he was about to rise he felt a paw on his back pinning him to the ground.

"Don't move" a familiar voice admonished him.

He saw Cynder walking past by his eyes, she picked up the rock he reached for and placed it just in front of his snout when she returned. Spyro breathed little icy flames out of his mouth cooling the stone in the process trying to make it as cold as possible. With his limited capabilities it took him some time to achieve his goal but in the end he covered a part of the stone in ice. Cynder dragged it across the ground and moved to the previously occupied spot.

"That's the least I can do" Cynder said with a appreciative tone.

Spyro trembled slightly when the rock touched his scales, he was surprised and quite proud he managed to freeze it that well with his pitiful ice breath. The chill overruled the annoying pain on his right side in seconds, but then just as if in envy other parts of his body started to send surges of pain that felt stronger than before. It almost looked like Cynder was reading his mind, after she finished with the worst place she tenderly moved the stone towards his tail and hind paws, she stopped every now and then and made little circles making sure she won't miss a spot.

When she finished with the lower part of his body she ran the stone across his back and sides towards his neck. Spyro shivered again when the stone reached new territory, he could almost feel the bruises and scratches being grateful for the attention. He moaned slightly when she cooled his exhausted front paws, he could feel every muscle relaxing under her touch. With everything taken care of she moved towards his neck, Spyro stretched when the stone left its cold mark. Besides the chill he could also feel her warm and rapid breathing, both sensations received in turns would make his head drop on the ground if not for the feminine paw holding it.

After she finished with the back side of his neck she moved her free paw under his jaw and raised his head a little before proceeding with massaging the other side of his neck. She ran the stone up and down it several times, with every move his eyelids were shutting down his sight becoming blurry with every second and he didn't do anything to stop it, not that he wanted to anyway. After a while the stone stopped moving cooling only one spot on his neck, soon after she lowered her head to check if she didn't miss anything. Her quick breath was almost intoxicating, the moment he felt it on his neck he purred , Cynder ran the stone across his neck once more time before retreating after she raised her head he could hear his beating heart yearning for her breath again.

She started all over again giving the much needed attention to every muscle she could reach, her touch relaxed every sore spot on his body that when she started massaging him from the beginning again he forgot about the pain completely. It was so pleasant that he couldn't even open his eyes, Spyro forgot about the whole world the only thing he could feel was her invigorating touch and breath.

Just when he thought that this can't get any more pleasant he felt the chill running down his haunches, she moved the stone slowly up and down his thighs, in the position he laid it must have been uncomfortable for her to massage them but she didn't seem to mind. She moved the stone upwards along his left hind paw and then ran it across his back until she reached his shoulders, then she moved the icy stone slowly lower reaching his chest just besides his elbow. Cynder moved it as low as she could, it was enough just to reach only a slight part of his underbelly, Spyro huffed when she caressed the spot that managed to avoid her attention, he couldn't help himself ,he leaned a little every time he felt the stone reaching the end of his body making more room for the refreshing chill.

It was like she realized that this parts demanded attention just like all the others and she did everything she could to make up for this little oversight. Spyro could tell they forgave her instantly as they quickly relaxed under her touch bottling up the pain as if it never was there in the first place. Nevertheless she spent some time on both sides of his chest moving slowly and gently asking for forgiveness, she was pardoned already but his chest didn't mind the additional attention and if it had a mouth it would surely moan.

Cynder convinced it was enough kept the stone as low as possible on his left side touching the edges of his underbelly moved it gently towards his back and loin, Spyro hissed in pleasure when the stone touched the border of his underbelly that wasn't under her spell yet. He leaned once to the left once to the right just like a ship tossed about on the ocean avoiding rolling on each of them, making more space for the chilly rock. Spyro gritted his teeth when she moved the stone down his waist just right beside his left knee, he twitched and his head froze in place hanging in the air when he felt a chill covering that particular spot on his body. She ran the icy stone tenderly up and down the left side of his waist and with every move he gritted his teeth fiercer that if not for the enjoyment it would be painful since it almost felt like they were about to break from all this pressure.

The sensation was overwhelming and now he was sure it can't get any better, he changed his mind quickly when he felt a warm paw touching his back and moving across it towards his rump. Both the stone and her paw met together at the top of his loin just to slide down on both sides of his waist at the same time. Spyro puffed a little ball of smoke from his nostrils when her paw touched an edge of the most tender spot of his body, the position he was laying in prevented her from going lower but it was good enough for him. When she felt she couldn't go any further she moved her paw and the cold stone on the other side slowly along the border of his gold underbelly stopping almost in the middle of his body.

She made little circle motions carefully caressing him with her paw and blunt side of her claws. He couldn't tell how long she spent there, Spyro lost the track of time a while ago, for him her touch was the only measurement of the passing moments. every slide alongside his length an opening for a new sensation. Cynder's paws started returning the same way from whence they came, his head went a little higher and he shivered when her paws reached the place just besides his knees. The stone and her paw ran upwards along his waist eventually meeting at the top before making their way towards his hind paws.

She moved gently up and down his bend thighs, Cynder repeated the motion a couple of times like she tried to accustom his right back leg to the feeling of her warm paw. Deciding it was enough she gently stroke the back end of his thigh, Spyro held his breath when he felt her touch, the icy trail the stone left was pleasant but this even more so. She tenderly rubbed his exhausted muscle every now and then accidently touching the beginning of his tail, and whenever it happened his tail bounced from the ground glad that it wasn't forgotten.

Cynder run the stone and her free paw up his hind paws so they could meet again at the top before returning to his loin. She began to repeat the most enjoyable part of this massage again, and he could feel that part of his body waiting for her touch in great anticipation. The moment she slid her paw down his waist and touched the edge of his gold scales Spyro couldn't hold it any longer. He moaned loudly and his head fell numbly on the ground that in other circumstances would be painful. Cold and heat received at the same time felt incredible, the two most hated enemies coexisting together and working in perfect unison.

She moved up and down his waist, back and forth along the borders of his gold underbelly and every new motion felt even better than the previous one. His breathed faster every time she touched the lower part of his waist, he could only feel his loin, all sore muscles and chill left by the stone in the other parts of his body were completely gone, it was like that only her touch awakened the life in him. Cynder seemed to be focused only on that simple motion now, she moved slow and with so much care that made him emit a soft moan every time he felt like his body wanted to scream in uncontrollable ravishment. Spyro felt like he was in a seventh heaven completely lost in it in fact, he wanted to wander it for all eternity without even thinking about finding a way out. He turned his head just to look for the generous host who invited him here.

Through blurry eyes he saw her sitting with lowered head and with his tail just between her hind paws when the other two gently massaged his body. Her emerald eyes were blurry and unfocused like they were seeing something entirely else. He laid close to the fire and its light must be the reason why he saw a hint of red just above her nose that was even visible through her black scales. She was just moving up his waist just to start everything anew but when her paws met at the top they stopped. As if feeling his gaze she slowly raised her head to look at him.

The moment they made eye contact she froze with her mouth hanged open, her eyes became wider and wider with each passing second, it looked like she dragged her vision back from whenever it was as focus slowly returned to them. In this shock she unconsciously released the icy stone, it slid down his body eventually hitting the ground. Cynder jumped on all her four paws at the sound, just then the flame had to intensify since when she quickly turned her head he saw that her snout was almost completely red.

Cynder cleared her throat " That...that will be enough" she said with a wavering voice without even looking at him

" But... but..." Spyro stammered

"I'm not going to spoil you!" she shouted irritated and patted the swelling on his right side with a flat end of her tail before she quickly walked towards the water filled cavity, one could say that she almost ran.

His blissful expression vanished instantly it seemed he was no longer welcome in that little paradise anymore. It felt like something grabbed him by his horns and dragged him forcefully through many long serpentine- like corridors before finally reaching the doors. Even those closed loudly behind him blocking themselves from being opened again by shutting its many locks with an audible grind. To make things worse he was dragged to an edge where he received a solid kick in the butt that sent him flying down the many stairs. He accumulated more speed the longer he bounced so when the flight of stairs finally ended he rolled on the ground eventually crashing into a huge boulder.

Spyro felt every inch of his body as it was released from its enchantment. Every muscle, cut, scratch and bruise started to ache with such strength that it was almost unbearable. His body blamed him for losing the refreshing chill and the stimulating touch, sending surges of pain from every direction as punishment. Spyro saw the ice covered stone laying beside him, salvation was at hand. Despite the pain he managed to sit and pick it up. He slowly moved the rock down his right flank, letting his scales absorb the chill that it created.

To his surprise it didn't seem to work, instead of subsiding, the pain only seemed to intensify. He thought that the swelling on that side was the reason so he quickly started working on his left flank. He moved the stone up and down this time faster but it didn't seem to work either, he tried his free paw, then his neck and chest still the same thing. It felt like his body was screaming in agony and longing so strong that his every move infuriated it even more. Spyro tried his best to calm it down but to no avail, his own touch superfluous and irritating for his body, it demanded something else, something that he couldn't give. Spyro dropped the stone and laid down resigned, it seems he will have to fight with the pain again.

His struggle broken by the sound of a splashing water, he turned his head to locate the source of this noise. Cynder was sitting near the canal like cavity with her paws in the water just to splash it onto her snout and run the wet paws down her neck and sides soon after. She helped him relax his sore muscles so it was clear for him that she also looked for a way to cool herself and wash all that blood from her scales. Cynder was in no rush, every time her paws reached as low as they possibly could she froze for a moment, every now and then taking a deep breath before repeating this process again.

After a while she placed all her paws on the ground, took a deep breath and turned around sharply. As she did that Cynder shot a quick glance at him, that split second seemed to drain all confidence from her. She reluctantly took a step forward with her nose sticking to the ground, then she took another one and another one. Cynder moved slowly as if she never wanted to reach her destination, just like a convict who heard a death sentence and was on his way to the gallows with his head hanging low ashamed of his crimes in his final minutes.

He watched her as she laid down on the opposite side of the fire without even looking at him, her sight focused on the flames alone. Spyro kept staring at her and she seemed to feel it since he saw her eyes taking a glimpse of his snout every now and then, whenever that happened she shifted slightly and frowned as she concentrated on the fire again, punishing her eyes for disobedience. They laid like that in complete silence for quite some time, both of them could finally rest so Spyro waited patiently for the moment when she will finally tell him everything about what has happened. He waited a bit longer but it didn't seem to be coming, the situation startled him he had to take the matters in his own paws.

"Will you finally tell me what has happened?" Spyro burst out

His question seemed to hurt her as she winced when she heard his voice "I...I...I didn't mean to..." she stammered and her voice was trailing off with each word

Spyro cocked his head slightly "What do you mean by that?"

She swallowed hard and started to scratch the ground with her claw nervously "I...I... Its just that... that... that I've never wanted you to...to... " she sighed "it was wrong"

"I would say it was surprising"

"I know I know... I've got carried away"

He reared his head back slightly, confusion filling him " Then I guess you should be more careful"

That particular sentence seemed to struck her right in the heart as she froze and thrust the previously moving claw into the ground so forcefully that it was on the brink of breaking apart " I was afraid... I hoped... I've never expected... one day it just happened"

In his confusion Spyro didn't notice as she struggled to hold back tears, with his head cocked to the side completely dumfounded he tried desperately to make sense out of everything she said but he couldn't do it "Cynder I've played along but now you completely lost me and I give up" he sighed "What are you talking about?"

Cynder looked at him, her expression a mix of confusion, sadness, anger, resignation and surprise. She stared at him lost for words

"So?" Spyro urged her after a while

"And you?" Cynder asked surprised

" I'm talking about the situation just when I saw you running away from something"

Cynder reared her head in abashment "Me too!" she exclaimed " I just don't know where to start"

" From the beginning" Spyro smiled "Please"

She shook her head as in disbelief, Cynder looked like she was lost in thoughts but after a while she focused on the matter at hand.

" Honestly I have no idea, it all happened so fast"

" Oh no you won't slip away that easily" he admonished her " Tell me everything step by step"

Cynder sighed" I left the cave, collected some rocks, took a sip from the pond outside and went up the hill towards the woods. There I found some twigs that I threw down the slope and some branches which I started chopping down and then I felt something strange, like someone was watching me"

Spyro looked alarmed and shocked " Bandits, here? This cave seems to be abandoned for weeks but I trust your hunch"

"The thing is..." she scratched her head "that wasn't my instinct"

He cocked his head " No? "

" No, it was something else, I've felt...insecure, I was worried that something will jump out from the trees"

" Bandits scared you?" he asked baffled " I mean... the vision of them attacking would put anyone on edge"

Cynder raised her head "Your right!" as she watched him her expression darkened, it looked like she was realizing something else "No, it's not that, I wasn't afraid for my life" she made a brief pause ,thinking "or maybe I was?" she shook her head " I don't know"

" Cynder focus"

" My heart started to race, beating in my chest like it was defending itself" she scratched the floor nervously " I didn't want to go"

Spyro frowned in confusion "Go where?"

She looked at the fire" Deeper into the woods, it was difficult to resist it's luring call but I've managed to do it"

" I don't understand, what was calling you? "

" I don't know maybe the forest" she frowned " or it might have been my imagination since later I didn't hear anything, only the darkness that covered it looked scary"

Spyro watched her with increasing puzzlement " Since when you are afraid of the dark?"

Cynder started to scratch the ground with more speed " There was something else there that terrified me"

He raised his head a little " What was it?"

"It was.. it looked like... " she shook her head " I don't know what it was"

" Think"

Her claws stopped moving as she threw him an annoyed look " I don't know" she pronounced each word slowly

Spyro cocked his head " You tried to run away from it, you must have..."

" I don't know!" she yelled and hit the ground angrily. He reared his head back at the noise. Cynder sighed " Let's change the subject"

Spyro watched her with a baffled expression, he opened his mouth to ask her more questions about this situation but he couldn't say anything. They laid there in awkward silence for a while, he thought that she will change her mind but she never did.

" What did you try to tell me back there on the slope?" Spyro asked tired of this silence

" Good choice" Cynder muttered

"What now?" he was used to her sarcastic tone but this time it annoyed him

"Oh no nothing, I'm just happy that you picked an interesting topic for a conversation" she smiled wryly

Her expression only made him angry " Ok Cynder I didn't want to say anything but you have been acting really weird lately, way before this whole forest thing"

She frowned " Guess why"

" I have no idea"

" Of course you don't!" she shouted indignantly

"Then why don't you tell me!" he shouted back

"You should have figured it out by now you clueless bastard! It's important and you don't even know what I'm talking about! You...you..you..." she snorted and turned around, her back facing him

"Hel..."

"Stop!" she exclaimed "I'm tired and I want some sleep, leave me alone" she shifted looking for a good position to rest and when she found it Spyro heard an audible "Ass"

He watched her with wide eyes, her reaction took him by surprise. She told him it was important and when he wanted to know what it was it only made her angry. Spyro had no idea why it infuriated her so much. First she acts as if it can't wait and now when a right moment to talk about it came she turns around offended. Females huh? With nothing left to do he rested his head on the floor and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He opened his eyes, the red light from the flames illuminated the cave, from what he could see it was still dark and raining outside. On the opposite side of the fire a black dragoness was sleeping peacefully, her chest moving up and down in a slowly rhythmic pace as she breathed. Spyro twitched to find a better spot for his head to rest, sighed and closed his eyes again. The cracking sound of the burning wood pounded at his head, he heard every single noise the fire created as it consumed the many twigs and branches.

Spyro threw it an annoying look, a single thought crossed his mind about extinguishing it in revenge. It was gone just as fast as it came, he wasn't alone here, his companion wouldn't probably like that, besides he needed the warmth anyway. He rolled over on his right side so that his back faced the campfire, a clear signal that he won't listen to its yattering ,in fact he didn't want anything to do with it anymore. Spyro exhaled and closed his eyes.

In the corner a single drop fell from the ceiling and hit the ground, he winced, such a tiny thing created a noise so loud that pierced and rang in his skull for a moment. After a while another one fell down creating the same effect, moments later another one hit the ground, then another and another. Spyro grumbled irritated and rolled over on his back, with his snout facing the ceiling he turned away from both parties which offended him greatly. Spyro sighed and closed his eyes.

The wind seemed to intensify, with a strong gust it entered the cave, the noise it created bounced from wall to wall which ended when it ran through his head with a shrill sound. Spyro opened one of his eyes in disbelief "_This can't be happening_" he thought to himself. Another gust rushed through the cave, he gritted his teeth when it reached him, nevertheless he was convincing himself that this was the last time it happened. When another one got him Spyro snorted and rolled over on his belly.

" It's just like I'm trying to sleep in a jungle" he muttered annoyed

He stood up, took a few steps and laid down again with his eyes fixed on the exit from the cave. Spyro gave up he couldn't sleep, it was odd since he was exhausted ,even the floor below him felt uncomfortable like it had many jutting rocks that plucked at his belly. He leaned, twitched, shifted but nothing helped no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find a space without something bothering him. Sighing in defeat he watched the world outside as the many raindrops fell down from the sky covering it in a wet blanket.

_" Mom told us to stay inside" a young _ _purple drake said staring at the window and wagging his tail anxiously _

_" Yeah I know but nobody's home and this is our best shot" replied a young dragonfly that hovered next to him_

_" She will get mad when she finds out"_

_"That's why we won't get caught"_

_" Parents always told us to never go outside when it's raining" _

_The little dragonfly placed his hands on the glass " Can't you see it?, It wants us outside" he said with an enchanted tone and sighed before turning his head to look at the dragon "We will never have another chance like this we have to take it"_

_The drake lowered his head "I... I don't know" he replied unconvincingly _

_The dragonfly frowned " What do you mean I don't know?!"_

_" We promised mom that we won't cause any trouble"_

_" Who said anything about causing trouble?" Sparx asked surprised_

_"But..."_

_"There is no buts about it! " the dragonfly interrupted him and positioned himself in front of him placing his hands on the both sides of his snout and raised his head so he could look him straight in the eyes. " Bro, you trust me?"_

_Spyro nodded "Yes"_

_" Was I ever wrong?"_

_Spyro averted his gaze thinking "Well..."_

_The moment they lost eye contact the dragonfly yanked the dragon's head forcing Spyro to look at him again, when their eyes met he gave him a meaningful look _

_Spyro shook his head confidently "No"_

_" Did I always showed you the good stuff?"_

_He nodded again "Yes"_

_" Did ya like it?"_

_He nodded once more "Yes"_

_Sparx clapped his hands "See? There's nothing to worry about" He grabbed Spyro's horn and started dragging him towards the window "I'll show ya something" Just when the dragon's nose touched the window the dragonfly opened his palm with his fingers pointing at the glass 'What do you see?" _

_With no other choice Spyro stared through the window looking for anything strange. After a moment of thinking he said tentatively with his voice muffled by the glass "Rain?"_

_"And what does the rain do?" Sparx asked unhesitatingly_

_"Ummm... makes things wet?"_

_The dragonfly sighed" That too" and with a shake of his head clearly excited he started to fly all around Spyro " What is more important my not very bright brother is that the rain makes the air cleaner and gives you more energy!"_

_"I don't think it does that"_

_" It does! Just think if we would go outside even for a while we could be faster and stronger, and you would be able to catch up with me finally"_

_Spyro frowned "Hey! I'm not slow and I'm getting better!"_

_Sparx hovered in front of him " Bro, I hate to say it but you are fat and you will never reach my perfect shape without the rain"_

_The dragon snorted " I'm not fat!" he gave Sparx an angry look "And how do you know that? Just like me you've never been outside"_

_Sparx grinned " I was"_

_Spyro jerked in surprise " Really?"_

_The dragonfly looked around checking if nobody is listening before moving a bit closer "You know Flare? he whispered _

_The drake shook his head _

_" Ok that's not important, the thing is that this guy can't keep his mouth shut, he always boasts about how good is he, that there is nobody who can beat him and stuff like that. Pissing me and some other guys off in the process. One day it starts to rain just like now and I sit in my room staring at the window bored like hell and what do I see? Flare! He's outside flying low making rounds around some trees and I think what the hell, right? Since we are not supposed to go outside in such weather. My brilliant mind told me that this whole thing smells fishy so I decided to find out what it was."_

_"Why you didn't tell me anything?!" Spyro exclaimed irritated and excited at the same time_

_Sparx raised his hands up " Don't blame me! I wanted to tell you but I couldn't" he lowered his hands " Like always when something interesting happens you have to make a mess. I was about to call you but then I saw you cleaning up something from the floor. You probably broke something again with this two things on your head since Mom was picking up some shattered glass while Dad was lecturing you."_

_"It was then?!" Spyro shouted and shook his head "Damn I screwed up big time"._

_Sparx nodded "Knowing I won't be able to get you I decided to act on my own and you created a perfect opportunity for me to slip away unnoticed. Thanks for that by the way, you are useful sometimes" he patted his head "Anyway I've waited for Flare by the trees but he never stopped and I could barely see him, he was so fast! With no other choice I started to chase him, firstly, and I hate to admit it, I couldn't catch him but then with every new round I inhaled the air deeply, it felt so fresh! With every breath I felt stronger and faster it was then when I realized that rain was behind his form!. Now no common dragonfly like..." he looked the dragon over". well... you..."_

_Spyro snorted_

_Ignoring his reaction he continued" ...would be able to do what I did. Thanks to the rain, and my natural talent of course I eventually caught up with him. He only confirmed my suspicions and when threatened that I will reveal his little secret he told me a couple of things about how he managed to stay outside and now when I think of it that was the last time I saw him, guess he was to afraid to show his face ever again. Serves him right, the cheater!"_

_He turned Spyro's head towards the window and wrapped his arm around one of his horns and said with clearly touched voice " Isn't it beautiful?". Sparx hovered in front of Spyro "This is also our great opportunity to get better, we gonna test it before telling other guys about it, this will make things more interesting" he rubbed his hands_

_Spyro watched the world outside anxiously, being torn apart by his curiosity and __cautiousness " I'm not sure if we should do that"_

_Sparx grabbed his head again " We are dragonflies right?"_

_Spyro nodded_

_"And what dragonflies from this family do?"_

_They stared at each other for a while before simultaneously and happily exclaiming " They stick together!"_

_Sparx clapped his hands" You with me bro?"_

_" Yeah!" he exclaimed fully convinced_

_"Then let's roll!" the dragonfly started to fly away_

_Spyro took a few steps after Sparx but then he turned his head to look at the window for the last time as he realized something was amiss "But what if Mom comes back earlier? And what will we do about the fumes?"_

_" Don't worry dude I've got this covered" without even looking at him he scuttled into the kitchen_

_Moments later he returned carrying a large cup with him "Don't worry about Mom I've already questioned her discreetly, she will be at a friend's house and you know how she likes to talk. I even convinced her that we will take care of ourselves so she doesn't need to hurry" he gave him the cup" Bottoms up!"_

_Spyro took the cup and peeked into it to check what it contained. There was a dark orange liquid swirling inside, he sniffed the contents and reared his head back when an unpleasant smell invaded his nostrils " What is this?"_

_Sparx hovered next to him " This is a special brew that will protect you from the fumes. Flare told me about it when I squeezed him"_

_" And where is yours?"_

_" I've drank mine already. Stop whining and drink it" he urged him with a motion of his hands._

_Spyro reluctantly rose the cup and poured a portion of the liquid inside his mouth. He swallowed it down, just when it passed his throat Spyro twisted his snout in abhorrence "Ugh, it's disgusting"_

_" Of course it is, have you ever heard about a medicine that tastes good?" Spyro shook his head "Exactly! Stop whining and finish the drink"_

_He looked at the medicine and took a deep breath. He wanted to get this over with so instead of taking small sips he poured the remaining liquid into his mouth before swallowing it all down. Just when he felt the taste he grunted with his tongue lolling out._

_Sparx clapped his hands "Great! Rainy here we come!" he dashed towards the exit doors. _

_Shaking off the bad taste clearly excited Spyro ran right after the dragonfly, he really wanted to know if everything that Sparx said was true. The moment the door swung open the dragonfly with a scream of joy dashed forward into the yard, Spyro however stopped right at the doorstep the raindrops falling down just right in front of his nose. He inhaled deeply as to check if the brew is working, it looked like it was since he couldn't smell anything terrible. Spyro craned his neck forward and when the first drop landed on his head he winced as if in pain and hid below the roof of the house again._

_It wasn't long before curiosity got the better of him, he craned his neck again but this time when a raindrop hit his head he didn't budge. Drop after drop splattered on his head, the feeling it created was greatly refreshing. It was his first time in the rain despite his parent's warnings to stay inside when the weather gets worse. He took a bite of the forbidden fruit, he was taking his time savoring it . Spyro didn't understand why they didn't allow them to go outside, the rain wasn't bad,in fact it was pleasant and so addictively invigorating._

_He awakened from his trance when something hit his cheek " Dude move it's not going to eat you!" a familiar voice shouted at him_

_Spyro touched his cheek and looked at his paw, it was covered in mud "Hey! Cut it out!" he exclaimed " I don't know why Mom told us stay inside, I don't smell anything and the rain feels great" he raised his head looking at the sky in awe and started wiping off the muck from his cheek._

_"Yeah whatever" Sparx murmured under his breath and started forming another ball of dirt, when he finished it he threw it at the dragon " Spyro check it out!" after a brief pause he shouted excited_

_Spyro lowered his head instantly to see what his brother meant by this. The moment he did that a mucky ball hit him directly in the snout ,the dirt covering it almost completely. When that happened he heard only a hysterical laughter._

_He wiped the mud from his snout and looked around the house before giving his brother an annoyed look " Sparx stop it! Your making a mess!"_

_"Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" he threw another ball at him_

_This time however Spyro was expecting that he will do it again, so when he saw the ball closing in he ducked dodging it as a result "I'll think of something" he replied threateningly and dashed after the dragonfly_

_Seeing this Sparx turned around and without wasting any more time he started to fly away as fast possible to escape from his pursuer. Spyro was focused only on catching him that he didn't really mind that the ground was muddy and it was difficult to run. Every time he placed his paws on the ground he made a splashing sound sending the water in every direction that made his paws and belly wet instantly allowing the mud to stick to them easily. It was easier for Sparx he was using his wings so he didn't need to worry about such things._

_He was chasing him for a while but he didn't even felt tired, not even a bit. It looked like Sparx was right, the rain really gave more strength, he overcame every obstacle with ease. The dragonfly did everything he could to make this worse for him by picking a route where there were plenty of things that served for barriers. Rocks that he had to jump over, trees that he had to avoid, and the mucky ground that felt like it was pulling him down as he did everything he could to continue his chase without much delay._

_It seemed like the second part Sparx told him about the rain was true also, he felt like he was gaining speed, running faster and faster with every second. Spyro was right he was clearly gaining on him, he saw as the little silhouette was getting closer. Sparx had to notice it since he started to circle around some branch that was big enough making it impossible to jump over it. Spyro stood on the opposite side, when he started circling the branch to the left Sparx moved to the right and the other way around when Spyro changed the direction._

_" How is it possible that you're not tired yet?" Sparx asked while staring at him, watching for his slightest move while he was slowly flying around the branch panting heavily_

_" You were right the rain works after all" he smirked without losing eye contact with his brother_

_" Dude you took it way too seriously" the dragonfly shook his head " Not everything I said wa..." before he could finish something hit his head, he looked up just to see some mud heading straight at him._

_Sparx dodged it just in time but he lost sight of his brother. That was the moment Spyro was waiting for, while he was focused on something else he didn't waste any time and started running around the branch as fast as possible trying to get as close as he could. The whole situation startled Sparx, and seeing his brother closing in his first thought was to start circling the branch again but then he realized that he won't make it, with no other choice he turned around and renewed his escape._

_Spyro knew why he stopped, he wanted to catch some breath since he was becoming more tired with each passing second, it looked like the rain didn't give him enough energy or he wasted it on chasing Flare, either way he didn't care. He was really close and it might be the first time he actually manage to catch him, the idea only made him push harder. With each passing second he was running faster and faster, his paws felt like they were created for such rough terrain, they haven't displayed even the slightest symptoms of __weariness. He won't get away, not this time._

_Spyro was focused solely on the dragonfly ahead, he won't waste such an opportunity. He was gaining on him, Spyro was so close that, if he wasn't used to it, the yellow glow Sparx emanated would burn his eyes. The dragonfly had to feel his breath on his back since he turned his head to look behind him. Seeing this Spyro grinned mischievously giving him a clear signal that he won't slip away this time. He was close enough, it was now or never, Spyro readied himself to make a jump but it was then when Sparx made a sharp turn. It surprised him but he followed in his wake, what he saw later surprised him even more. Instead of a little dragonfly there was a pair of trees in front of him one closer than the other._

_His eyes went wide, he never expected it but it was too late to stop now. He was running too fast so everything he could do was to lean his body a little to avoid colliding with it headlong. Spyro yanked his body to the right, unfortunately he hit the tree with his wing but at least he managed to avoid colliding with it. His joy didn't last long another one was in his path, he yanked his body to the left side but even this time his wing hit the tree. The impact and the sudden maneuvers made him lose his balance, Spyro would regain his stability if not for the small stones in front of him._

_He tripped over them and fell into a mucky puddle, the dirt sticking to him as pins stick to a magnet. Spyro tried to wipe it off but every attempt only made it worse, his head hit the ground first, making his purple snout disappear below the mud. Spyro slowly stood up and just when he tried to find his eyes and reveal them from this sticky curtain he heard a loud derisive laughter coming from a glowing shape hovering nearby ._

_" Bro I must tell you that you really know how to make my day better" Sparx said between gasps_

_" Shut up" Spyro replied as he spit out some dirt from his mouth_

_He placed his hands on his belly "Ow, my stomach" catching some breath the dragonfly started flying around the young dragon " Have you ever heard of a mud bath before? People say it makes you look better but now I think they lied. You were always ugly but now... whoa" He moved closer to his head " Seriously dude, if somebody asks we don't know each other, I have a reputation to take care of you know" he retreated and burst out laughing again._

_" I've almost had you and you know that. You've tricked me " Spyro shot him an annoyed look _

_Sparx caught his breath again and pointed his finger at him " Hey, you started it, remember?"_

_" I did that only to distract you, it was easy to avoid"_

_" Yeah, I wanted to repay you with the same thing but I improved it a little" he touched his temple with a finger " There's a brain there ,you will have one too one day...probably" he grinned _

_"You cheated, you knew I had no chance to avoid these trees!" Spyro exclaimed _

_Sparx watched him for a while then sighed and shrugged " Ok maybe I cheated, so what? Nobody said It was a fair run in the first place"_

_" I'll tell you what, it's payback time" Spyro murmured under his breath and frowned " Sparx look at this, it seems like Flare hid something here, It's some sort of a message!" he exclaimed excited while he looked at the puddle_

_The dragonfly jerked in surprise " What? It's impossible" he flew closer, curiosity getting ahead of him_

_Seeing this Spyro smiled mischievously, this was the perfect moment to strike. With a fast move of his paw he splashed some water towards him, the dragonfly yelped in surprise. His tail followed soon after, with a fast spin he threw some mud at him, this time however he didn't manage to dodge it, not all of it at least. Sparx wavered when a bit of mud hit him, this was the moment Spyro used to his advantage. Not wasting any time he jumped with his paws extended trying to grab him. Sparx tried to slip away but Spyro was faster this time, he caught the dragonfly and fell with him in the shallow and mucky puddle._

_" Where's that brain of yours now?" Spyro asked mockingly _

_Sparx screamed and fought valiantly splashing the water everywhere trying desperately to break free from his grip. He received the same treat as Spyro, he was getting covered in the damp and sticky mud in seconds and that was everything the dragon wanted. Spyro was splashing some water on him followed by some little dirt later, the dragonfly shook as fast as he could trying to avoid everything that was heading his way, this struggle was accompanied by his loud yelling. Over time he was moving slower and slower until he finally stopped completely covered in mud._

_" Ha! Who's the winner now?" Spyro asked triumphantly watching him closely while he laid there pinned under his paw. To his surprise however he didn't respond, he laid there with closed eyes completely still. Spyro's eyes went wider and wider as he slowly began to realize that he was larger than him and might have actually hurt him._

_He raised his paw releasing the dragonfly" Sparx!,Sparx!" Spyro shouted his name several times and nipped him delicately with his claw to wake him up. "Oh no, what have I done? Sparx wake up please!" he yelled at the top of his lungs with fear in his voice and lowered his head_

_"It's still there" Sparx whispered_

_Spyro raised him head instantly to look at him and just when he did that he felt Sparx's hand smearing his mouth with some mud as he quickly took to the air._

_"You thought you can beat me that easily?!" the dragonfly exclaimed irritated "Take that!, and that!, and that!" Sparx repeated the same phrase a couple more times as he threw some balls of dirt at him one after the other._

_Spyro got hit by some when he was startled by this situation but after regaining his composure he started to cover his snout and body behind his wings when the balls were closing in, and just when they collided with his membranes he moved his wings away and threw some balls at the dragonfly. _

_The mucky projectiles were flying between two brothers in quick succession as they waged this little war of theirs. Between the occasional shouts a laugh could be heard every now and then as a sign they both enjoyed this little game, sometimes it was even accompanied by a scream of joy when one of them got hit in a uncovered part of the body. Sometimes they stood in place and exchanged their mucky balls, another times they startled circling each other as fast as they could throwing every bit of muck they could get their hands and paws on. Occasionally they moved directly at each other splashing the water and sending the mud flying in every direction without caring for their own protection. One of those runs ended with them tackling each other, even if Sparx was without much chance in such a battle he still did it. They were smearing the mud all over their faces when they were close enough. They would be playing for quite some time if they didn't hear a familiar female voice yelling angrily" WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" the sound of it made them both wince and freeze with their paw and hand on each other faces._

_Spyro spit the mud out of his mouth " Didn't you tell me that you convinced Mom to stay at her friend's house longer then she planned?" he asked with a wavering voice _

_Sparx scratched his head" Ya see... how to tell you this umm... I might have vamped up this whole thing a little" and then they both swallowed hard when they saw the familiar dragonfly getting closer. _

Spyro chuckled when he remembered this particular memory and especially his foster brother's words. " A LITTLE" he said, it was a huge overstatement since later he found out that he made up this whole thing. It all started with a clever dragonfly named Flare who irritated Sparx greatly by beating him constantly, the same dragonfly who he caught training outside, the same dragonfly who revealed the true secret behind his form. It isn't hard to imagine Spyro's surprise when Sparx admitted that there was no special power behind Flare's shape since a dragonfly with such a name didn't live in their village or any other for that matter, in fact he didn't exist at all.

Later Sparx revealed the truth behind the little conversation with their Mother in which he convinced her that they will behave. Spyro knew he likes to talk so he believed him straight away there was no reason for him to lie about it. He was baffled when he heard that the discreet questioning really was a discreet stalking, Sparx was following her all the time while she was in the house waiting when the exit doors finally shut behind her. Bottom line he didn't exchange with her even a single word.

Then came the rain, it was supposed to give new strength, firstly it felt like it was true but then he realized that it only left such an impression on him because he truly believed it. It was his first time outside in a rainy day, everything was new and felt so real that it didn't take long to convince him completely. Truthfully it wasn't helping at all, in the Swamps it only caused harm. Later that day he understood why their parents forbid them to go outside while he laid in the bed with a terrible fever with all his energy drained away. The rain caused the whole mucky terrain and the plants to release fumes that were almost odor- free, Spyro knew they were there but he imagined them to be something terrible that will make his nose curl in disgust, and just when he couldn't smell anything like that he thought that he was protected against them. Basically it isn't dangerous to be outside when it's raining but they were both still pretty young and their organisms weren't fully adapted yet to absorb those slightly poisonous fumes.

The "special brew" as Sparx called it instead of helping him resist the toxic fumes made things only worse. No wonder since it was no medicine, it turned out to be some still juice, even Sparx himself couldn't remember what rotten fruits he used to make it. Normally a single cup isn't harmful but back then the "medicine" combined with the fumes that led to a fever weakened him and made room for the not very fresh juice to work its magic. Not only he was ill beyond imagination but also he threw up everything he ate or drank, even sometimes smell made him retch. The only thing he could do was to hang his head from the edge of the bed just above a bowl. Surprisingly Sparx didn't share his fate, he only suffered a fever and when they recovered he always boasted about how resistant he is. Spyro envied him back then that he never put two and two together and realized that Sparx never drank the juice in the first place.

How their Mother yelled at them, no wonder since they both ignored her warnings and came back so dirty that they would cover the whole house in mud if they could just run freely. To make things worse the ball that Spyro dodged hit and shattered a vase that their Mom really liked. After they washed themselves they received a harsh lecture about their behavior and later both of them fell ill and landed in beds. Some days have passed but eventually they recovered fully, they were ready to play again thinking that this sickness was punishment enough. Their joy vanished immediately when they found out that they were grounded for two weeks.

Spyro smiled and shook his head, how time flies, it had been years but it felt like it happened just yesterday. A soft whimper broke his concentration he turned his head to look at the source of it. It looked like Cynder was dreaming since he saw her paw twitching slightly. They seem to have more in common then he thought, just when he was remembering some pleasant memories she seemed to do the same even if it was unintentionally. Moments later she whimpered again this time Spyro stood up and got closer to her.

He stopped near Cynder and craned his neck forward to get a good look at her. She's laid on her left side with her back turned towards him. The end of her tail was bouncing and sliding across the floor slightly, her hind paws twitching as if she tried to run away from something. She whimpered again, the sound made Spyro to look at her snout, Cynder's eyelids were fluttering rapidly processing every image her mind created very quickly. Spyro was wrong, they had their differences ,she was dreaming but by the look of it that was not a jolly dream.

She whimpered one more time and muttered something incoherently. Seeing her like this only made anxiety growing inside him, they've been through a lot, and after all this time Spyro set up one goal for himself that he will achieve no matter what. Supporting her in every situation was his biggest concern, even in situations as trivial as this, her well-being was the most important thing for him.

Her tail bounced from the ground and she whimpered again. Impulsively and with utmost care Spyro extended his paw towards her. Cynder was trembling as if she was against a wall with nowhere to run and was begging for help. He was moving his paw slower and slower the closer it got to her body, Spyro wanted to comfort her as delicately as he could without waking her. It was just a dream after all.

He touched her wing and the moment he ran his paw across it she moaned. Spyro withdrew his paw instantly, he bit his lip with his paw hanging in mid-air as he watched her rolling over on her other side. He froze terrified that he did something wrong and woke her up, Spyro thought that she wouldn't like to be interrupted, she deserved some rest after all. To his great relief nothing like that happened, the moment she turned Cynder sighed and clicked her tongue before returning to her peaceful slumber.

He couldn't help himself and smiled happily when he watched her sleeping calmly. Spyro extended his paw again and touched her. He tenderly ran it up and down her foreleg and across her wing and shoulder to end on her cheek. Spyro repeated the same motion over and over again, every now and then he could hear her purring softly and shaking slightly below his touch. He stared only at her snout, his eyes enthralled by that black muzzle like it was charmed, trapping his sight in a delightful prison from which it never wanted to escape.

Even if it was unlikely that the bad dreams would return Spyro kept caressing her. He wanted to show her that he is always by her side, that he will always help her, that he will always protect her, that he likes her company even if they sometimes argue. As he watched her Spyro started to get warmer, his heartbeat increasing every second until it reached such a pace that he could hear it beating in his chest. He even started to sweat and with it came the awkward sensation in his belly it felt like something was swirling in there. Only she triggered such unfamiliar emotions in him whenever he kept thinking about her. Spyro never felt like this before, he wanted to be near her, never to abandon her, spend every second of his life in her company. He liked her, no, it was something else, something he has never experienced before, a feeling that was alien to him. Whatever it was he was sure of one thing though, he was sure that he didn't want this moment to end he could stare at her for all eternity if he could.

He couldn't, Spyro twitched when he felt a tingle crossing his body, he raised his paw and looked at it he saw as his scales were shaking slightly and his paw becoming slowly numb. The unfamiliar feeling vanished, his heart returned to its normal pace as he focused on the new unexpected yet familiar sensation. It was weak but whatever it was it gave clear signals that it can be found, not in this cave, somewhere else, quite a distance away. Firstly he tried to ignore it but it was so unnerving that he couldn't concentrate on anything else. Spyro considered waking her up but then he thought better of it, she finally has the much needed rest, a moment for recovery after everything she's been through. Besides this cave was in a middle of nowhere, hidden behind a thick forest and between two high slopes ,it was clearly abandoned for who knows how long. It was unlikely that something will stumble upon it, it looked quite safe.

Spyro made up his mind, he looked at her for the last time as to ensure her that he will be back before turning around and making his way towards the exit. The moment he stepped out of the cave he looked around and focused trying to locate the source of this uneasy feeling. It didn't take him long to set his sight upon the woods, it was coming from there, he wasn't imagining things after all. This feeling was stronger than the previous one and more importantly it wasn't fading away. Something was there and this time it almost looked like it was calling him.

Spyro stopped at the edge of the forest, the feeling intensified slightly with each step he took, he was heading in the right direction there was no doubt about that. Spyro concentrated, the tingle that ran through his body was still pretty faint meaning that whatever was there it was undoubtedly deeper , somewhere inside this thick dark forest. A thought crossed his mind that maybe Cynder wasn't seeing things after all? But then again he didn't see anything chasing her, it reminded him of the situation at the slope, he felt something there but she didn't. Maybe it has something to do with the whole world saving? He used tremendous power back there and they both were in its radius so maybe these were simply some side effects that were different for each of them?.

With this thought in his mind he ventured into the forest. Even if he considered that this was the most possible explanation he still moved cautiously, carefully maneuvering around the many trees and bushes. The only noise he heard was created by the wind howling through the trees and his survival instincts told him to avoid making any other sound. It was unlikely that someone or something was here, better safe than sorry they say, if there was something actually here it was better to leave it oblivious to his presence.

Spyro kept going and going moving away from the cave with each step he took. It was a good thing, whatever he felt it was far away from their safe heaven, there was a little chance that someone will locate it with this forest in the way. The feeling was getting stronger but he couldn't see anything, Spyro moved a couple of steps and stopped. His body was almost shaking , it was close, really close. Spyro narrowed his pupils and tried to pierce the darkness but with no luck, there is something here definitely but he couldn't see it.

He took a step, stopped and looked around before taking another step. Spyro repeated the same move again and again carefully searching for the source of this feeling. He kept doing the same thing until he heard a noise behind him that pierced through the sound created by the howling wind just like a noise of a falling chain when it hits the ground piercing through the sound of an air roaring in a windy corridor. Spyro spun around quickly at the unexpected sound to see some tall and thick bushes, their green twigs rustling against each other like something was stuck between them or trying to get past them.

Spyro low on his paws took slowly some steps backwards with his eyes focused intently on the source of this new sound. He retreated until he reached a hunk of a tree, the darkness that surrounded it covering him entirely, only a very skilled hunter would notice a pair of purple eyes glistening from the shadows. He hunkered down and waited for his opponent to show himself. Slowing his heartbeat and breath Spyro observed the rustling bushes ahead, he was ready to pounce at anything that would come rushing through them. Nothing did for the moment, the green twigs were still swishing against each other, his gut told him there was something there. Maybe the bushes were thicker than he firstly thought.

Another moment has passed and still nothing appeared. Spyro stared at the bushes all the time not losing sight of them even for a second. Whatever was there it has to come out soon enough, he was taught to try to remain calm in every stressful situation, and this is what he will do. He will wait for his enemy to show up, not letting his emotions to get the upper hand, patience is the key. Spyro waited and waited but nothing new happened, nevertheless he didn't budge, the bushes have to end eventually and whatever was on the opposite side had know it, the rustle confirmed it. Sighing quietly Spyro focused even harder, it can't be long now.

The whish was getting on his nerves, he kept staring at those annoying bushes for who knows how long and he was getting more agitated with each passing second. After a while Spyro realized what is happening, whoever is on the other side is taunting him, wanting him to reveal his position and lose the element of surprise. How he could not see this? It's so obvious! A clever trick but he won't fall for it, he won't allow to be provoked. Spyro shifted from paw to paw and smiled slyly, he had read his enemy intentions. It was his turn now, with renewed determination he awaited for his opponent's next move.

Surprisingly nothing new happened, his enemy didn't make any move and that wouldn't bother him if not for this noise. The constant rustle was infuriating! If only it could stop tormenting him for only a second! But it didn't, it began ringing in his head, laughing at him, laughing at his cowardice. Spyro shook his head trying to ignore it but he couldn't, the sound was teasing him and after a while he had enough.

" Have it your way then" Spyro growled and popped out from his hiding place, but he didn't stop to wait for his enemy to attack him. Instead he ran as quickly as he could and jumped into the bushes with his claws at the ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The forest was dark and dense , it was difficult to see anything but at least it stopped raining , the wind calmed down, everything was silent. Spyro landed on his belly when he jumped out from these bushes, it seemed he ran faster than he firstly thought since he couldn't keep his balance. While he was laying on the ground he looked around but there was no sign of the culprit who taunted him nor did he leave any footprints, it looked like he just vanished into thin air. As he laid there on the dry ground his instinct told him something was wrong, not only it was way too quiet but he felt also somewhat strange, just like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunately Spyro couldn't be more correct, a noise filled the woods but through this thick forest it was impossible to locate it. He concentrated just to make sure if his not imagining things, he wasn't, the sound he heard again was nothing else then a scream that was getting louder. Spyro instantly tried to get up and help the person who was yelling so loudly clearly terrified, he didn't care who it was, that person is in trouble and that's what matters.

The moment Spyro tried to rise something pulled him backwards and he landed on his belly once more. He looked behind him just to see some quite big twigs wrapped around his hind paws just as the bushes didn't want him to go, just as if they were telling him that there is nothing he can do. Spyro didn't listen he yanked his back paws forcefully trying to break free from their iron grip but to no avail, they didn't budge. Another scream filed the air but this time it sounded close, really close, just like it was coming from ahead.

Figuring he doesn't have much more time Spyro had to move faster, whoever it was he was clearly heading in this direction with his pursuers just behind him no doubt. Spyro's tail was stuck just like his paws, too bad it would really be helpful right now. With no other choice left Spyro slowly slid alongside the ground and started to roll over on his back. He couldn't roll over completely with his paws stuck in one position but it was enough for him to reach a slight portion of the twigs on the lower part of his body. Spyro thrust his claws into the twigs as deeply as the position he was in allowed it and began slowly cutting through them. He had to weaken their structure, that way they will break easily and he would be free again.

The dragon heard another scream. this time however it sounded like it came from just a few meters in front of him. Spyro looked in that direction just to see a cheetah popping out from the shadows . The fugitive had to trip over something since he fell on the ground, he didn't waste any time, just when the cheetah hit the ground he looked behind him and screamed in horror. Something was clearly chasing him and from the looks of it, the pursuer wasn't far. The cheetah crawled on the ground for a bit just to quickly make some additional steps on all fours before raising on his two legs. Whatever was chasing him he really wanted to lose it.

The cheetah made only a step or two before Spyro saw something behind him, it flashed briefly when it reflected the light from the moon which found an opening in the many dense tree tops.

Spyro tried to warn the feline but he only managed to open his mouth, it was already too late. The swirling axe that was thrown after the cheetah found it's mark. The feline uttered a stiffed scream and terror filled his eyes when the axe impaled on his back. He saw as the cat's body arched forward at the force of the impact, with one of his hands bend above the shoulder and the other one at his waist-height just like he tried to reach the foreign object that struck him. The cheetah took two or three ponderous steps before he fell on his knees and soon after on his face, completely lifeless. Moments later from the shadows stepped out the killer.

Malefor's Dark Army was created using unknown dark arts and promises of wealth and power. Firstly there were the Apes, mercenaries that were taught to artificially harness the power of Spirit Gems- the dragon's life source. The Apes served as perfect soldiers driven by greed, lust for power and even simple pleasure of butchering something without any consequences. The traits of every self- respecting mercenary. Out of this freelancers Malefor created a disciplined army with different ranks from common soldiers armed with simple weapons whose solely purpose was to follow orders to commanders wielding enchanted arms and what's more important-magic. These mercenaries bred beasts of their own like Dreadwings and Death Hounds that are capable of fighting dragon-sized enemies. Spoils of victory and discipline were one thing, what Malefor truly wanted was loyalty, loyalty that was hard to come by in an army consisting only of mercenaries. When The Dark Master was sure of his victory he severely punished the unfaithful portion of his army by turning it into Shadow Apes while he rewarded the most loyal ones with more power.

Years later Malefor wanting to replace his lost numbers used an unknown and powerful spell which spawned the Grublins. Grublins are artificially created servants through some evil means, they come in different varieties, from small common soldiers to big and large commanders. Their ranks match the ranks of the Apes, a simple equipped Grublin soldier is a replacement for a common Ape soldier while the more talented ones match the status of an Ape leader or commander. Another example that belonged to this species are Orcs, they are more dangerous and more intelligent than normal Grublins, that's why usually Orcs commanders lead the army when it's marching. Just like Apes, Grublins brought with them dangerous creatures like Wyverns and Trolls that are perfect for fighting with dragons. After all those years Malefor not only added more deadlier forces to his army but also he achieved the goal he craved for- unswerving loyalty. Grublins are not interested in gold or power their sole purpose is to kill and follow theirs Master's every whim, and it goes without saying that they carried his orders with utmost pleasure.

It was an ape mercenary with red markings on his face and fiery eyes, he was wearing light leather armor with small spikes on its shoulders, two silver spiked bracelets on both his forearms, a helmet with two long spikes protruding from its edges, studded legs with silver spiked patches on its knees and studded boots. An iron belt was wrapped around the ape's waist with a small axe strapped on one side. He was undoubtedly a scout.

The ape stopped for a brief moment when he saw the cheetah's body laying still on the ground before he started circling it slowly as if admiring his work. Spyro instantly looked behind him and started working on the twisted twigs again, if the ape will notice him he will be defenseless and the mercenary won't waste an opportunity for an easy kill. Spyro moved his claws slowly carefully cutting through the woody twigs avoiding making any noise. He gritted his teeth when he tried to pull out his tail, he yanked it delicately but it wouldn't budge, Spyro shot a quick glance ahead.

The ape stopped at the left side of the cat's body and placed one of his foot on its back while he grabbed the handle of the axe with his hand. With a fast move he pulled out the axe, crimson fresh blood spouted out after it, the ape hunkered down staring at the feline's body with contempt and evil grin while he wiped the bloody axe on the cheetah's cloak.

Spyro quickly renewed his work, that was a scout after all, what are the chances he will not head in this direction? He was sure of one thing tough, they are slim. Spyro cut and cut, faster with every passing second yanking his tail all the time. He looked briefly ahead just to see the ape looking around just like he was feeling that someone is watching him. Spyro didn't have much time, he began working even faster, he felt as his tail was slowly breaking free, with luck he will slip by unnoticed, who knows how many of them are there. It won't be long now, he weakened the twigs so a sharp quick move of his tail will be enough for a soundless tactical retreat. Deciding that he can't waste any more time Spyro yanked his tail quickly releasing it from its clutches, unfortunately luck played a trick on him again, the twigs broke with a loud snap. Spyro bit his lip and looked ahead.

The scout turned around towards him bending on his knees slightly, adopting a defensive posture, firstly his eyes were wide with surprise but then he narrowed his pupils and even from here Spyro could see them flash with murderous intent. The mercenary smiled wickedly and reached behind his back, he pulled out something Spyro didn't notice at first glance. It was an ivory horn, he didn't really wanted to know who was its former owner. The ape placed one side of the horn to his mouth, took a deep breath and blew it. The rumbling noise it created startled every single bird or other animal that was hiding in the trees, falling leafs and small twigs were a sign that they were escaping in panic. The animals can take care of themselves, what really worried Spyro was the distant shouts and roars echoing throughout the woods, his suspicions were confirmed, the mercenary wasn't alone.

The ape threw the horn aside without even caring where it landed, with the same smile plastered on his face the ape unstrapped the axe from his hip. With both weapons in his hands the scout yelled and charged. Spyro immediately focused on the twigs, the gold sharp tip on his tail cut through them with much ease. There were plenty of them wrapped around his hind paws and for simple twigs they were quite sturdy, resisting efficiently every jerk. Spyro wagged his tail faster and faster at the increasing sound of thumping boots, sharp jerks weren't working as good as he wanted. Spyro gritting his teeth started to pull with all his strength, grunting and with his tail wagging quickly he desperately tried to break free. The twigs were slowly weakening their iron grip, feeling this Spyro pushed harder without even stopping to catch a breath. Moments later with a fast move of his tail he neutralized the last sign of resistance and with a loud snap he released his paws from their prison.

The moment he was free he instantly rolled over the ground, just in time in fact, as he began rolling over he saw two axes hitting the spot he previously occupied. With an angry shout the ape raised his weapons again dragging some grass and dirt along with them and struck again. Spyro rolled over avoiding the axes, unhesitatingly the mercenary tried again to plunge his weapons into the dragon's body. He rolled once more dodging another blow, just when the ape yelled angrily and prepared to throw his axes at him Spyro slapped the mercenary's head with his wing knocking down his helmet and staggered him for a short while. With one final turn Spyro jumped on his paws and turned around to face his opponent.

With the opponent stunned it is easy to finish him off, well usually. Spyro inhaled the air, the moment he did that a sharp pain ran through his ribs making him cough terribly. The sound seemed to wake up the ape as he shook his head and focused his fiery eyes on the dragon while smiling menacingly. The mercenary charged with his axes raised above his head, Spyro jumped backwards just as they flew down slashing through thin air as a result. He didn't have much time to regain his composure, the ape attacked again this time slashing his axes horizontally, Spyro jerked his head back quickly hearing a sharp whizz as the axes almost reached his neck. The ape slashed again, Spyro repeated the same move just to duck the sharp edges of the mercenary's deadly weapons moments later. His opponent was no mere scout, he was a skilled fighter and a really fast one at that, he kept pushing relentlessly preventing Spyro from making any counter-attack.

The ape kept his pressure slashing the axes in every possible direction. Spyro knew he had to catch a breath soon, he was clearly unfamiliar with Ignitus' rule. He ducked the axes once more and quickly jerked his head backwards to dodge another blow but this time the sharp edges came maybe a second later than usually. This was the moment the dragon was waiting for, without wasting more time Spyro quickly spun around giving his tail some speed before striking the ape. He reflected the blow with his axe but it gave Spyro enough space to cut the scout's arm with his sharp claws. He screamed angrily and slashed with the axe held in his uninjured hand, Spyro jumped backwards avoiding the blow, the weapon in his wounded hand followed soon after but he was already out of reach.

Instantly the ape raised both weapons above his head and hacked them down vertically. The moment they hit the ground Spyro quickly placed his front paws on them preventing them from raising and jumped extending his wings. The moment he took to the air he wrapped his tail around the ape's neck and hauled him behind him. His axes fell on the ground as he tried to pry off the dragon's tail from his neck. The trees didn't allow Spyro to raise high but it was enough for him to finish the job. He began flapping his wings quickly gaining speed instantly while he made small circles in the air with the ape dragged behind him. The moment he felt he was fast enough with a sharp move of his tail he hauled the mercenary headlong towards the ground, the moment he struck the earth Spyro heard every possible bone shattering.

Spyro landed on the ground and run quickly to the cheetahs body, he met only one tribe in his journeys and members always had something with them that served as a identification from which tribe they are, and it would a good thing to inform it that one of them is dead. He stopped just beside the body and rolled it over on his back, the dull horror filled eyes made his heart jump, he shut them just out of the respect for the fallen. Spyro looked over the body but there was no symbol he recognized or maybe he just didn't know what to look for. Through his shirt ran a leather strap that eventually ended with a small bag just next to his hip, something was standing out from it that looked like a rolled parchment, the cheetah was clearly no soldier but a messenger. The felines are fast and they know the Valley like nobody else but it's not always enough to survive.

" I'm sorry" Spyro whispered pleadingly as he reached out for the strap, he delicately cut through it eventually pulling the bag out with some strips still hanging from it, the whole thing only left a moral mark on the young dragon. You never disturb the dead but these were difficult times.

He quickly unrolled the scroll to check if it contained anything of value. "SHE'S COMING" was written at the top while the whole parchment was covered with a hastily drawn map, probably of the valley, with mountain ranges as thick lines, rivers as straight lines and trees as dots. Every now and then there was a hut drawn inside a red circle and a number beside it starting from one to four, many red arrows pointed at each circle from different directions . What caught Spyro's attention was number one, the hut was drawn near two big thick lines and above many dots, a village was nearby. It was some sort of a plan, a warning for other villages that the messenger was supposed to deliver of the incoming attack. Clearly the cheetah won't be able to finish his mission.

Spyro started to fold back the map just to see an ape soldier trying to stab him with a sword. He sidestepped quickly avoiding it but unfortunately the tip pierced right through the parchment destroying it completely. He didn't have the time to worry about that now as the ape struck him with a shield, Spyro's head jerked to a side and blood gushed from his mouth at the impact. The soldier seeing that he managed to hit his opponent quickly swung his sword crosswise. Spyro sidestepped again but this time he was to slow, the sword cut his wing, nothing serious but it still hurt. A strike with a shield followed soon after that he reflected with his second wing making the ape lose his balance for a moment. It was enough for the dragon to jump on the soldier and plunge his claws into his arms, the ape fell on the ground under the drake's weight, with his arms locked in place he couldn't defend himself, Spyro had no troubles ripping the ape's throat with his powerful jaws.

Spitting some blood out Spyro turned around quickly to see another mercenary approaching him with raised axe just above his head. He couldn't use his deadly breaths but that didn't prevent him from channeling his elemental powers to take advantage of skills that didn't require deep air inhalation. Lowering his head till the gold horns pointed at his opponent Spyro used his Comet Dash ability. With a red flash he charged his enemy, he gained speed instantly, Spyro was so fast that the ape didn't even had the time to react. The axe fell on the ground when two gold horns pierced his armor and then his abdomen, the ape uttered a faint grunt and impulsively placed his hands on the dragon's head trying to push him away. Spyro felt the pressure from his opponent weakening with every inch as life was escaping him. He kept running with the impaled ape until he hit a tree, the soldier had to die on his horns since he didn't scream when he was set ablaze.

Two angry shouts came from behind him, Spyro spun around quickly to see two ape soldiers attacking him. He rolled to a side avoiding the spear that tried to stab him and jumped backwards but it wasn't enough to dodge the attack of the second soldier. The sword cut his foreleg, it bent slightly after receiving the wound. Spyro growled and jumped into the air, the moment he flapped his wings the spearman raised his weapon and tried to stab him once again. Spyro spun around quickly just to see the spear running inches from his belly, he grabbed it with all his paws and with a powerful jerk he tore it out from the ape's hands. Spyro hovered in the air as he turned around to face his enemy, the moment the dragon saw him he threw the spear with all his strength at him. The ape didn't even move when the spear impaled him to the ground, with a gurgle blood shot out from his mouth as he arched forward for a moment with his arms extended trying to grab the spear and pull it out, seconds later his body arched backwards numbly as death took him in its cold embrace. Without wasting any time Spyro dived, the second soldier raised his weapon above his head but didn't have the time to swing it as the drake caught him and lifted him upwards. Spyro made a quick circle in the air and just when he was getting close to the spear he dropped the mercenary. He didn't even yelp as he impaled on the wooden end of the weapon with his chest.

Spyro jerked when an arrow flew past him with an audible whizz, he wasn't far from the ground since the many trees prevented him from going higher, deciding he was an easy target here Spyro landed quickly. The moment he set his paws on the ground he saw an ape soldier running towards him screaming madly. He unstrapped one of his axes and hurled it at him, moments later he did the same thing with the second axe just to unsheathe a sword in the end and raise it above his head as he kept running at him still screaming. Just as the first whirling axe was closing in Spyro bent on his paws dodging it, still in the same position he spun around swiftly and just when the handle of the second axe faced him he wrapped his tail around it. The moment the image of the charging soldier ran past his eyes he extended his tail and released the weapon, the axe penetrated the helmet and got stuck in the ape's forehead silencing him forever.

Four soldiers jumped out from the shadows, Spyro turned around lowered his head and charged. The mercenary didn't see this coming, he only faintly yelped in surprise when two horns pierced him. Just like previously he ran with the soldier until he hit a tree but this time the mercenary wasn't alone. Spyro didn't have the time to turn around and release the impaled body when one of his companions began attacking him, the ape swung his sword but Spyro managed to deflect it with his tail. The moment he did that the other two mercenaries raised their weapons preparing to strike him. Spyro channeled the power of his ice element, some little icy sparks began shooting out from the gold tip on his tail, he swiftly swiped it to the other side knocking down both soldiers. Thanks to his Ice Tail ability they froze the moment they hit the earth.

Spyro withdrew his horns, the body of the ape that was pinned to the tree slumped down its hunk leaving a trail of blood behind it. He turned to face the last mercenary just to see a group of archers with already stringed bows behind him, Spyro pounced forward blocking the sword that was heading his way before prying it off from the mercenary's hand with one fast blow of his claws. The ape gripped his wrist with terror on his face as one of the dragon's claws sliced through the veins, streams of blood flowing down his wrist just as quickly as rivers flow downhill. The arrows were set loose, not caring for the mercenary's problem he grabbed him by the arms and turned with him towards the incoming arrows. Most of the arrows got stuck in the ape's back just like he was some sort of a training dummy, some of them whistling past him, only one arrow managed to leave a mark. It didn't hit him directly, the sharp edge of the arrow-head ran alongside his whole side leaving a bloody cut on his body.

Spyro dumped the pierced mercenary and started to ran towards the archers as they began pulling out arrows from their quivers. As he gained a little speed Spyro jumped slightly and channeled his earth element powers to turn into a spiked boulder. Some archers jumped out of the way when he rolled over them but the spikes prevented them from getting far, dismembering them in the process. Legs, arms or even bodies cut in half were thrown into the air. Spyro returned to his normal form just to see some apes crawling on the ground with only the upper part of their bodies intact leaving a bloody trail and guts behind them. Gross.

A bigger ape than the previous ones showed up next to him accompanied by two archers, the mercenary swung his sword crosswise just to follow the same move with his other hand that also had a sword in it. Spyro jumped backwards quickly, one of the weapons leaving a scratch on his neck, he didn't have the time to recover as the ape attacked again, Spyro deflected the first strike with his wing while the other cut his side. He roared in pain and stumbled backwards, the mercenary pushed again he deflected the first strike with his tail then ducked under the second blow and hit the ape in the extended arm with his claw. The mercenary swayed a little and Spyro raised his second paw to strike, but just when he was about to slash with it an arrow hit him in the chest just next to his extended paw, he flinched and with a grimace of pain on his snout pulled it out quickly, drops of crimson blood gushed from the wound, he didn't have the time to recover as another one thrust into his waist just beside his hind paw.

Spyro sidestepped avoiding a vertical strike from one of the ape's swords and leapt into the air, he flapped his wing forcefully to gain speed but it wasn't enough to avoid the second sword as the ape swung it upwards, the triangular edge left a gash on his thigh. Spyro growled and swung his tail so that the sharp tip headed directly for the ape's chest, but this mercenary was a skilled fighter, he read the dragon's intentions, just when the purple tail was getting close he dropped to the ground the tail threw off only his helmet. After this miss Spyro spun in the air dodging an arrow heading his way fired by one of the archers while he dived to reach the other one. This one was less experienced than his companions since his arms were shaking violently unable to keep his bow straight when he saw the dragon turning towards him. Just as he prepared to string his bow the arrow fell on the ground, he picked it up and the moment he raised his head a gold tip thrust into his chest with such a force that it almost went clean through, he only gurgled as streams of blood shot out from his mouth.

Spyro withdrew his tail and the body dropped onto the ground covering the grass in a pool of blood instantly. He maneuvered in the air as arrows kept whistling past him, he can't stay in the air there is way too many archers in the forest, they will shoot him down eventually. Spyro looked behind him and saw a place on the ground that wasn't crawling with enemies, yet. Deciding that this was his best option he turned his head to see what's in front of him as he slowly began preparations for the landing. The moment his head returned to its normal position Spyro's eyes went wide, a quite big rock was heading in his direction that would most likely stun him leaving him at the mercy of the mercenaries, and they would have no troubles shortening all his years.

There was no chance he can avoid it now, Spyro instantly took cover behind his wings, they jerked back at the impact and Spyro groaned as the rock exploded into many small chunks. With nothing to sustain him in the air Spyro began falling vertically down, he began spinning around as he extended his wings trying to catch a gust that would carry him anew. It won't happen, the trees prevented him from gaining a proper altitude and the ground was getting closer. With last unintended spin he turned to see the green earth below him as he screamed and braced himself for a rough landing.

Fortunately not only the dragon was surprised by the unexpected turn of events, an ape soldier looked up just to see a purple drake heading directly at him. The mercenary only emitted a faint gasp when the dragon landed on him, his weight crushing every possible organ inside the ape's body and almost creating a hole in the ground. Spyro shook his head and opened his eyes to see the mercenary's face frozen in shock with his eyes wide open and mouth agape. There was no time to admire the view as he saw a group of soldiers charging from ahead, that was not his only problem, many sounds of clanking armor were coming from behind him accompanied by the noise of released arrows from the bows.

Spyro thrust his claws into the ape below him and rolled ahead, the ape's back was skewered the moment it faced the direction from which the arrows were coming. With that of the was Spyro gave the body a solid kick with his hind legs sending it flying directly at the group of soldiers charging from ahead. As the group ahead slowly began getting up from the ground Spyro quickly raised up, the soldiers that attacked him from behind were close, shouting they prepared to strike. He moved his tail to one end as far as possible, charged it with ice and swiped it to the other side, knocking down some ape's while others jumped backwards avoiding the freezing blow. He quickly spun around and took cover behind a slab of ice that was previously a living and breathing mercenary, the arrows deflected, some shattered and even others got stuck in the block of ice, the archers didn't care that they companions were nearby skewering some of them as a result.

Spyro left his hiding place and with a flash of light charged the archers with his head low, just as his horns thrust into one of them setting him ablaze he stopped and attacked the rest of the group. The archers were defenseless in close combat against the bouncing dragon between them, they didn't even manage to unsheathe their small swords or daggers when a sharp claw run across their throats releasing all the blood that had been held behind the skin.

Just as he finished with them Spyro ducked under a sword, sparks were thrown into the air as it ran across his horn. He deflected a strike with a shield with one of his wings while he threw off a raised axe with his second one. Rolled on the ground as a huge sword hit the ground right next to him and quickly pounced at the mercenary just in front of him, the ape only screamed loudly when his arm got trapped between powerful teeth, Spyro yanked the soldier forcefully slightly lifting him from the ground, with the soldier in the air he spun around quickly, the legs of the helpless ape knocked down every soldier that was to close. After one spin he threw the body into an another group of charging apes before concentrating on the mercenary's that were near him.

Spyro sidestepped as a sword whizzed just next to him, with that out of the way he slashed horizontally with his claw killing a soldier that was preparing to strike him on the spot. Just as he was preparing to block a blow with his wing an arrow struck him in the chest, Spyro roared and swayed as the pain rushed through him, he didn't have the time to recover as something cut his unprepared wing leaving a deep gash on it. Stumbling backwards he saw a tip of a sword heading for his throat covetous of his dragon blood, he jerked his head back but it still managed to reach him making another scratch on his neck. Growling he extended his front paws quickly above the sword and brought them back down moments later pinning the weapon to the ground, the soldier was brought to his knees and with his arm stuck under the dragon's paws he couldn't protect himself against the bite.

As the hunkered body of the ape was slowly beginning to fall on the ground he pounced onto its shoulders and sprang from them allowing him to jump over the many slashing weapons, while he was still in the air with a fast move he pulled out the arrow from his chest. Just when he was about to land Spyro threw the arrow with all his strength at the archer who was stringing his bow, he didn't finish as the projectile hit him straight in the eye, a faint gasp of surprise could be heard before the ape's body tumbled onto the ground. This reckless move came with a cost since he jumped directly into the middle of a group of enemies, the ape's froze with wide eyes fixed on the dragon as neither of them expected something like this. Spyro didn't hesitate, he knocked down some startled mercenaries with his wings simultaneously swiping his tail killing a handful of enemies behind him while freezing some others.

Not everyone was caught unaware, a spear emerged from behind their ranks and stabbed the dragon in the side, luckily for him it didn't go deep. Spyro groaned and with a powerful flap of his wings took to the sky, He raised straight upwards for a moment before turning to face the earth below him, just when he flapped his wing and began heading headlong for the ground Spyro used his elemental powers and turned into a boulder. The moment he hit the ground a powerful shock wave was created knocking down every ape off their feet in close proximity. Spyro didn't waste time as he began finishing off the mercenaries near him, seconds later the ape's began to raise and another groups of soldiers were headed his way.

He flapped his wings again and raised to the air to repeat the same move, but as he was beginning to turn around he saw an ice bolt heading straight at him. He made a swift circle in the air but the bolt managed to touch his tail leaving a painful trail of frost on it. Spyro winced and recovered his stability just to see a huge slowly approaching fireball, it was quite a distance away but even from here he could feel the heat it emanated, he didn't have the time to focus on it as arrows were flying from every direction preventing him from focusing on his elemental powers. It was too crowded on the ground so he decided to make a dive, he spun around, flapped his wings forcefully and furled them soon after, the momentum he gained surprised the soldiers below as they were not expecting the dragon to descend so fast upon them. Just as he was close to the ground he unfurled his wings regaining balance while slashing with his claws through enemy ranks, his attack ended when he grabbed and archer and raised with him in the air before hurling him down at the group which aimed their bows at him.

The heat was getting stronger, the fireball was close and he needs to find a place to land and quickly, Spyro looked around and spotted an appropriate place, the soldiers were there also but not in such great numbers. With no other choice he prepared to make a go for it, but just then he felt another source of heat, he turned his head to look at the approaching fireball just to see a smaller one emerging from the woods. This one however was flying with incredible speed and what was more surprising it wasn't directed at him, the fireball was raising in the air with no clear purpose, someone down there really needs to work on his aiming. Spyro concentrated on the more dangerous threat, the huge fireball is getting closer with each passing second, but just then with a corner of his eye he saw the burning edges of the smaller ball of flame. Spyro's eyes went wide when he realized what's going on but it was already too late, the moment the small fireball hit the bigger one they both exploded with a deafening roar. Spyro covered himself behind his wings as the powerful and scorching gust of wind approached, the gale was so strong that it blew him from the sky the moment it reached him, burning his wings at the same time.

Spyro spun and twisted uncontrollably in the air while he headed for the ground, before he could reach it a tree blocked his way, it almost bent when the dragon hit it. With a terrible howl of pain he began to slide down along its hunk snapping every branch that protruded from it. Eventually he arrived at the bottom with his back propped against the tree, groaning Spyro began to open his blurry eyes, his concentration returned quickly when he saw a huge axe ready to relieve his neck from the burden it had to carry from the moment he hatched. Spyro forced himself to slump and he made it just in time, the axe hit the tree just above his horns making bits of wood and bark land on his head. He didn't waste time, while the ape was grunting and struggling to pull out the axe from the hunk he used his claws on his hind paw to strike the slightly uncovered knee cap of the soldier. The ape's leg bent under the pain, the moment the mercenary's face was at the height of his front paws, he slashed it with his claws sending blood everywhere.

As Spyro slowly began to raise he cursed his curiosity, he could be in that cave now, resting and recovering with Cynder, but no, he had to check what was the source of that awkward feeling, oh how he wished he was back. Spyro couldn't really dwell on it as he saw the familiar ape wielding two swords charging him with a group of soldiers behind him, he didn't want to fight with him, this guy was good and he was tired and wounded ,he needs his strength since his enemies keep pouring in, he has to figure some other way to get rid of him. Spyro looked at the bloody body behind him and an idea crossed his mind, he slipped his tail under the double spiked helmet on the dead ape's head and lifted it. He threw it into the air and just when it was falling down Spyro made a quick spin and slapped the helmet with the flat end of his tail. It was sent flying towards the charging ape with one of the spikes directed at him, the speed it was flying with prevented the soldier from reacting appropriately, in fact the mercenary didn't even budge as the spike perforated his forehead.

The group of charging mercenaries stopped beside their leader's body and looked at it, not really sure what has just happened. Moments later all of the raised their heads and looked incredulously at the purple shape ahead, realizing where they are the soldiers raised their weapons, yelled and renewed their advance. With a roar Spyro began his own charge, this time however with his eyes fixed at the approaching group. Just when he was getting close he began charging his electricity power, a yellow sparkling sphere formed around him, when he directly ran into the group all the soldiers were instantly stunned by the electric impulses, with the sphere still around him Spyro killed every soldier affected by it.

Another mercenaries attacked, he jumped backwards as the weapons were swung at him vertically, deflected a strike with his tail just to be stabbed with a spear and cut with a sword. His paws bent under his weight when a sharp triangular shape ran across them. Spyro unfurled his wings knocking down the apes at both his sides while he jumped at the one in front of him, snapping his mouth on his arm he raised the ape above his head just to smash him on the ground behind him, he repeated the process several times slowly turning the soldier into a pulp. The bouncing ape prevented other soldiers from getting close, but an arrow managed to find a way and get stuck in his wing. Spyro growled with his teeth clamped on the ape's arm and started to spin around, just as he saw a group of archers behind some soldiers he threw the body at them, it knocked down or even killed several mercenaries instantly.

Taking advantage of this little break Spyro gained speed and jumped while he turned into a boulder, its solid and deadly spikes rampaged throughout the ape's ranks, he returned to his normal form as he felt his elemental energy depleting rapidly thanks to his wounds. Just as he landed on all his paws he felt two not very strong sources of heat heading his way, he turned around to see two small fireballs colliding with each other creating a gust of wind that burned the dragon and sent him sliding along the ground. Spyro stopped at the feline's body, regret and guiltiness boiled inside him when he looked at the corpse, he let another person die while he did nothing to prevent it. Shaking his head he pushed away the bad feelings, determination and thirst for revenge taking their place, both feelings so strong that he forgot about the pain for a moment.

Spyro pulled himself up just to see a sword heading his way, he ducked and slashed immediately with such a force that his claws penetrated the armor and cut the soldier's abdomen, they went so deep almost touching the spine, he swiped his wing knocking the surrounding enemies while he thrust his sharp tip on his tail inside some other, Spyro got cut but he didn't care, with a snarl he pounced at a soldier and sank his teeth into his neck. Arrows were sent flying towards him, he grabbed an ape's arm yanked it forcefully and turned him so the arrows got stuck in the soldier's back while he remained mostly unharmed. The skewered body fell on the ground and with a red flash he charged the archers and pierced one with his horns, with a powerful jerk of his head he hurled the burning body at a another group of advancing enemies while he froze the remaining archers with his tail.

As the last archer turned to ice Spyro had a moment to catch his breath, unfortunately for him the break ended as quickly as it began, he heard a cracking sound behind him, he turned his head just to see a slab of ice that previously was a living soldier, small cracks were forming on its surface slowly getting bigger and bigger. Then suddenly the block exploded sending small chunks of ice in every direction ,one of them managed to leave a little scratch just below his eye, he covered himself behind his already tortured wing, with all these burns it was more sensitive to pain than usually, Spyro gritted his teeth and hissed as the ice bounced off his membranes sending surges of searing pain along it, nevertheless it was still better than getting hit by the shards directly in the snout. He lowered his wing the moment the ice stopped flying just to see two apes with glowing scepters in their hands standing in the spot where the slab of ice was moments ago.

Spyro didn't have the time to concentrate on their features as they began their assault immediately, one of them directed the head of the scepter at him and with a green glow an earth missile was launched at the dragon, Spyro rolled aside evading the deadly strike, but it wasn't enough to completely avoid the second attack, the flame released from the second scepter ran maybe centimeters above his gold fins but it still managed to burn his back along the whole length of his body. Spyro didn't even managed to get up as he saw both mercenaries pouncing at him raising their swords ready to deal the decisive strike, he channeled his earth powers forming a insubstantial shape of a boulder around him. He winced when the weapons hit his protective barrier, it was weak so the moment it received the blows a searing pain rushed through his whole body and the barrier faded, luckily for him it served its purpose.

The swords bounced off from the surface after the hit sending tiny sparks in the air while their owners tottered. Spyro raised quickly and leapt at the closest caster. His claws thrust into the mercenary's shoulder pads as they began to roll forward. Spyro craned his neck and opened his mouth showing many pointy teeth ready to steal the life from his victim. just as he prepared to make the bite something touched his belly, he felt some magical energy charging just to be released moments later. With a thud and a flash of a bright light a powerful force struck his belly throwing him off the ape and sent him flying into a group of soldiers.

They were surprised just as he was since they didn't even blink when the dragon crashed with them killing some soldiers on the spot. Spyro pulled himself up swiftly and had to sidestep instantly to avoid a spear trying to stab him, still on the move he ducked under a slashing sword just to kill its owner by cutting his abdomen. He felt magical energy being released, with a strong swipe of his tail he hit and threw the spearman in the direction of the approaching magical bolt. The earth missile pierced his armor with ease, the bloody spiked end sticking out from his back while the thicker got stuck somewhere between the soldier's bones. The missile carried the ape with it impaling any mercenary on its way until there was no more room on its sharp end.

Spyro didn't have the time to admire the view as he had to dodge an ice bolt heading his way, he rolled on the ground but to his surprise the missile exploded into small shards just when it got close enough. Spyro covered himself with his wings and howled in pain when the chunks stroked his leathery cover and his front paws before he could hide them. Taking advantage of this opportunity a soldier with a shout jumped into the air and prepared to sink his sword into the dragons back till it reached his spine. Hearing it Spyro channeled his electric powers as fast as he could before he looked at the descending ape and released it, his electric arc was very weak since the soldier wasn't affected by it but luckily it was enough for the ape's weapon. The sword stopped in midair while the ape fell on the drake's back, with a wide smile and a shout of victory the mercenary moved his hand down forcefully to sink his blade into his flesh, shock and terror filled the ape's eyes as he realized that he only punched the dragon, the image of a toothy maw heading his way was the last thing he saw.

Spitting out blood Spyro pulled himself up just to deflect an incoming strike with his tail while he blocked an another one with his wing, he didn't have the chance to counter-attack as one of the casters swung his sword, Spyro ducked under it just to be hit again with the scepter as it emitted a flash of white light. The moment he felt himself being thrown away Spyro thrust his claws into the ground, with such grip the force only made him slide backwards while his claws leaving a scratch on the earth. A soldier didn't expect that he will resist the impact so he swung his weapon instantly at the dragon, Spyro deflected the blow with his wing just to finish the ape with his tail. He swiped it again at the caster but his gold tip only managed to scuff his armor.

The second caster joined the fight, with a fast cut with his sword he hit the dragon's extended tail, Spyro groaned and jumped aside avoiding a missile heading his way. He didn't have the time to recover as the first ape renewed his attack accompanied by a soldier with a shield, they struck at the same time, Spyro jumped backwards while both weapons hit the ground, he slashed with his claws but one soldier dodged the blow while the other blocked it with a shield. The moment his paw bounced off it he spun around ready to strike with his tail, as he turned Spyro took a glimpse of something reflecting the moonlight, it flashed next to a tree illuminating the middle of its hunk just to vanish moments later. Two ape's avoided his tail while the third one reflected it with his scepter and stabbed slightly the dragon's waist. Spyro roared in pain, exchanging blows like this would probably lead to his death, he needed to think of something else.

He avoided a blow from the second caster and moved closer to the two mercenaries in front of him, Spyro swiped his wing quickly not at the first caster's body but at his scepter, the soldier deflected his strike with ease, at the same time Spyro blocked an incoming attack from the common soldier with his other wing. The ape followed with his shield while the caster swung his sword crosswise at him, instead of jumping out of the way off the incoming weapon he ducked feeling the shield running just above his head. He heard a yelp of surprise and a ringing sound when the sword hit the metal shield with such a force that the impact staggered both soldier momentarily. Spyro jumped forward and just in time in fact since he felt a small gust of wind behind him as a sword hit the ground.

He raised and spun around to strike again with his tail, both soldiers jerked their heads back avoiding the deadly tip. Spyro repeated the same move but this time however he shot a quick glance above releasing the sword from its cage, just as he turned the blade reached an appropriate height, he wrapped his tail around its hilt. Spyro swiped again and the soldiers did the same dodge, they smiled wryly when the dragon missed once more and decided that it was their turn to attack. As they prepared to charge the dragon stopped spinning and showed them the sword wrapped around his tail with dripping blood from its tip. Something prevented both apes from advancing, they impulsively touched their necks and lowered their hands to see blood on them, even from here Spyro saw their terrified eyes as they desperately tried to prevent the blood from escaping. Moments later the blood created long red streaks on theirs armor until it dripped on the ground, both soldiers fell on their knees just to slump on the ground seconds later revealing a startled caster behind them.

Spyro hurled the sword at the baffled ape but as the blade got close the caster moved his scepter and a loud thud was created accompanied by a flash of white light throwing the scepter to one side, the sword to the other an the ape backwards. Spyro charged with his head low but the mercenary managed to roll away, he stopped turned around and began slashing with his claws quickly, the soldier parried some of his strikes, dodged the others while he kept moving backwards. Spyro continued his assault not really caring if he hits, he wanted to push the ape back and prevent any counter attack from his side. He slashed and slashed relentlessly pretty amazed at how the soldier avoided his blows, but everything has to end someday. The ape's back hit a tree, trapped he blocked one blow, then somehow managed to deflect the second one but the third strike pried the sword from his hands and sent it flying aside, the soldier looked at the dragon just to see an incoming pair of paws with sharp claws, Spyro tore the ape to shreds.

He spun around ready to repel any attack heading his way, his eyes went wide when he saw that there was no soldier charging him. Just as he looked around he took a glimpse of a mercenary retreating into the shadows, why did they stop he had no idea, they could overwhelm him easily. Spyro heard something ahead it sounded like some ponderous steps, moments later a huge ape emerged wearing a complete plate set that didn't allow even a tiny bit of flesh to stick out. The burly ape carried with him an even bigger two-handed sword with viciously looking teeth on its edge. He was a undoubtedly a leader, and that's why the ape's retreated probably so he can demonstrate how it's done.

Spyro didn't waste time, with a red flash he charged the ape wanting to surprise him with such fast attack, it seemed to work since he saw his sword thrusting into the ground beside him. He felt as something gripped his horns tightly and it was harder and harder to push with every passing second. The ape grabbed his horns in his plate gauntlets preventing them from penetrating his armor, he slid backwards on the ground while the dragon kept running, slowing down with each centimeter. Spyro pushed until the ape's back hit a tree but even then his horns couldn't reach his flesh. He tried to ignite the leader just to realize that his attempt was somehow stifled. Spyro's eyes went wide when he felt he was being lifted from the ground, the ape raised him upwards with fully extended arms just above his head, the moment Spyro's back touched the tree with a swift and powerful move the ape smashed him on the ground. He only emitted a faint gasp when he felt all his bones and organs screaming in pain, there was no chance to recover as he was lifted again just to be smashed onto the ground once more.

The grip on his horns was gone while he laid there on the ground in horrible pain, but the adrenaline in his blood allowed him to continue his fight, like it wanted him not to give up. Spyro opened his eyes and began raising his head just to receive a solid kick in the muzzle, blood gushed from his mouth while he flipped in the air just to land painfully on his back. Groaning Spyro rolled on his belly and started to crawl away from the ape to avoid any further blows, he wasn't so lucky since the moment he started to crawl aside he received another kick in his side. The plate boot sent him rolling over the ground for a couple of meters, when he stopped Spyro coughed, spitting blood on the ground, he felt a stinging pain in his chest every time he inhaled the air.

Some heavy steps could be heard that were getting closer and louder every second accompanied by clanking of an armor, Spyro panting and coughing looked briefly at the source of this noise just to see the sword being pulled off from the ground tearing some dirt and grass from it. He quickly pulled himself up and jumped backwards avoiding the incoming sword that would shatter his bones with ease. The blade hit the ground in front of him but even this miss didn't allow him to recover as the ape with a fast move hit his nose with the sword's pommel. His head jerked back while blood started to flow from his nose and his eyes began to water, Spyro shook his head trying to regain his lost concentration just to be hit powerfully in his cheek by a clenched plate fist.

The blow made him spin slightly while he bounced trying not to collapse on the ground, when he recovered his stability he had to sidestep instantly avoiding a stabbing attempt. The ape was stronger than he firstly thought since he swiped crosswise holding the blade only in one hand. Spyro dodged the sword once more and it was then when he realized that the ape not only strong but also fast even in his bulky armor. Just when the ape felt that his weapon didn't find the target he made a long stride with one of his legs, hunkered down and began spinning around with the blade whirling above his head. Spyro felt a sharp whizz as the sword slashed just above his horns, moments later he rolled aside as the blade was swung vertically at him.

With his elemental energy almost drained, wounds and increasing weariness there was no chance he could channel his powers without being pierced by the weapon first or even extend his wings properly to leap into the air thanks to the lesions on them. The ape swung, slashed occasionally even punched, some of his strikes finding their way to his scales, but somehow Spyro was able to avoid most of them. As the commander spun around a barely visible gold chain revealed itself from his armor, it spun around with its owner, but what really caught Spyro's attention was a sight of two medium sized crystals dangling from it, one was red while the other was blue. His eyes flashed, maybe these crystals are the key to turn the table.

An idea crossed Spyro's mind it was risky but he has to do something since he won't be able to keep this for much longer, he ducked under a horizontal swing, jumped away from a crosswise attack just to dodge a vertical blow. As a fist was heading his way Spyro stopped and allowed the ape to hit him, he fell on the ground, it was a powerful blow since he felt all of his teeth ringing inside his mouth, ignoring it Spyro bent his hind paws slightly and thrust his claws into the ground. The sword was dropping down on him from above and just when it was about to hit him he sprang forward towards the ape's legs while he wrapped his tail around the commander's forearm.

When the mercenary raised his sword Spyro was lifted from the ground, hanging upside down he extended his front paws for the chain but he didn't reach it as he felt a fist hitting his belly with such a force that he almost threw up every organ. The ape struck him two or three more times and he felt that he was slowly fainting from all these blows, Spyro stopped fighting and dangled numbly above the ground. The commander grabbed his tail with his other hand and moved the dragon's snout close to the visor of his helmet to give him a victorious look while he moved his armed hand backwards preparing for the final thrust. The ape was so sure of his victory that he didn't notice a red and blue light emanating below his neck.

Just when he moved the sword to pierce the dragon a strong jolt of electricity ran through his body making him twitch as every muscle tensed. Spyro fell on the ground and quickly got away from the ape, the leader screamed furiously and swung his sword at the dragon standing ahead. Spyro didn't make any attempt to avoid it, he slowly unfurled his big purple wings with their brown membranes almost completely healed. Just when the sword was getting close with a powerful flap he took to the sky, the ape tried to hit him again but he was already out of reach. The moment Spyro was directly above the mercenary he used his renewed elemental powers to turn into a boulder. He came down with such speed that he easily penetrated the ape's helmet and cracked his skull instantly. Spyro returned to his normal form and landed next to the mercenary as his body hit the ground with a rumbling noise.

"Impressive" someone stated from behind him

Thanks to the still ringing sound in his skull he didn't hear it clearly, Spyro slowly turned around to see who it was, but before he could set his eyes upon the person who said it an extremely powerful gust of wind struck him, lifted him from the ground and blew him towards the familiar bushes.

It started to rain again and the wind howled through the trees but he didn't care about such things as he popped out from the bushes with extreme speed just to hit a tree. He groaned loudly and a terrible pain ran through his body when he fell on the wet ground, Spyro pulled himself up and adopted a defensive stance while he fixed his eyes on the bushes. Everything swirled but he was ready to repel any attack heading his way, surprisingly nothing came after him. He stood there for a while but he couldn't hear the sound of incoming footsteps, taking advantage of their delay he hid in the shadows. Spyro furrowed his brow when after another couple of minutes no soldier came rushing after him, curiosity taking the lead once more made him to check the place where he fought.

Spyro didn't go directly into the bushes, instead he circled them hiding in the shadows, his eyes went wide when he reached his destination just to realize that there is nothing here, no blood, no bodies, nothing. He started to listen intently but besides the howling wind and the rain there was nothing there, then he thought about that gust, it was really strong so it might have blown everything deeper into the forest. Spyro walked around the forest for a while but he didn't find anything, deciding that it's better not to borrow trouble he decided to get back to the cave.

Limping he began to return to his resting place, he took a longer route just in case, every now and then stopping to check if anybody is following him, no one did. While he headed back Spyro remembered the plan, to be more precise he thought about the part of the map that he forgot, there was no chance he will find the villages, he won't be able to help them, they will have to fend for themselves for the time being until he finds help.

Spyro sped up when he saw the cave worrying for her safety, he sighed in relief when he saw Cynder still sleeping beside the dim fire. Throwing some more wood into the campfire he dropped next to it exhausted beyond imagination, nevertheless he watched the entrance, Spyro decided to keep vigil even if his heavy eyes told him otherwise.


	7. Chapter 7

**Throwing in another chapter now because i might not have the time to do this later this week**

**Gore warning!**

* * *

Chapter 7

She has been soaring above the greenish ground, the mountainsides calm and breathtaking, with the sun slowly hiding behind the horizon giving this place an invigorating touch for all these people who enjoyed and loved sightseeing. She wasn't one of them, the tranquility of this place made her sick, the silence rang in her head in its annoying and unending high- pitched tone that seemed to torture her just for fun. She flew past by a huge tree arched from the end of a tall slope, one look at it was enough to feel despise, hatred and contempt radiating from it, she was so consumed with rage that she mistook genuine compassion for something far more dreadful.

Good, they should fear her, they should loathe her, after all she worked hard for it. Every tree, every bush, animal and a living being has to know, WILL KNOW, that she won't be trifled with. She had her orders and she will carry them out, that was her Master's wish and she will comply, but as every living creature who works almost all day and night she needs a break, a moment for herself to cool down, relax after all day of grueling endeavor and wash away all the memories from yesterday just to start a new dawn with a clear mind.

Nothing was better than good old fashioned destruction, the sweet smell of burning houses just like the scent of the most beautiful flowers, the screams of her victims music to her ears just like the best song of the finest bard, their blood caressing her throat like the most exquisite wine, their flesh just like a delicious meal prepared by the most talented cook, their threats and will to fight just like the icing on the cake. This is going to be a good day.

One breath would be enough to tear off the tree from its long roots ending the annoying taunts once and for all. When something else caught her attention she decided to leave it alone, this is a lone tree standing in the middle of nowhere after all, it's not going anywhere. The thick black smoke raising above the many crowns in the distance was far more interesting. She smiled, the best moment of every break is just about to happen, not only it helps in boosting her reputation but also it's a most gladdening sight for her green eyes. Without hesitation she made her way towards the appealing image grinning mischievously.

The smell of something burning intensified, with it came distant roars, cheers of joy and the sound of ongoing battle. She landed near the village with its wall burning and front gate laying in ruins allowing free entrance, she swaggered into the settlement looking around carefully. On both sides there was still some fighting going on, two cheetahs with their backs to the wall of a building managed to kill three apes attacking them, it didn't bother her, they are only cannon fodder anyway. The feline's looked at the new arrival, frowning and with a loud yell they charged her with their spears pointing at her chest. She didn't move watching both cat's running at her with incredible speed, they were getting closer with each passing second but she stared at them with bored and unconcerned eyes.

She yawned, her mouth opening wide showing many sharp teeth, clicking her tongue she looked again at the charging felines. The moment she did that two apes tackled each cheetah throwing them to the ground, but the cats were agile, they broke free from the mercenaries grasp with ease just to thrust their spears into them. They didn't have the time to renew their attack as another group of apes attacked them, the cheetahs were fighting bravely, killing or wounding quite a number of enemies in this unfair fight. But the felines had no chance against overwhelming waves of opponents heading their way, blood was spouting in every direction when the spears managed to find a chink in the apes armor, but just when one of the cheetahs prepared to stab an incoming enemy he was cut with a sword in the chest, with a cry of pain he fell on his knees. Seeing this, his companion tried to punish the soldier who did that just to receive a slash across his shoulder, his spear fell on the ground when the pain ran through his arm. With both cheetahs defenseless the mercenaries raised their weapons for the final strike.

"Stop!" she shouted with a demanding tone and preserving the same walk made her way towards the cheetahs.

The apes looked at their approaching general with eyes full of respect and palpable fear and took a step back for every step she made forward. It was a moment before there was no soldier near the cheetahs allowing her enough space to walk without interruptions. The cats were tightly gripping their wounds trying to prevent any more blood loss, but even with their bodies weakened they eyes remained strong, they were staring with despise at her, their heads and pupils following her as she circled both of them

She chuckled "You know, it always surprises me that even after all this time you struggle, as if you believe you have a chance against me and I'm curious who or what gives you this blind hope, care to tell me?" She stopped and gawked at the cheetahs in return

Their mouths didn't even twitch as they looked at her with fiery eyes.

She smiled weakly and began circling the cheetahs again " I understand your resolve and I admire it, after all you keep fighting even if you know you can't win, that is something you are proud of. Am I right?" She shot them a quick glance but just as before they didn't say anything.

She laughed "Oh that reminds me of something, and I'm sure you will find it amusing as well" Regaining her composure she continued with a cheerful tone " Once I found myself in some other village, something like this one in fact, it was pure coincidence of course" She winked and continued " It was filled with cheetahs just like here but they had that... that... " she scratched the silver choker on her neck thoughtfully "What was it again?"

"A fang" a smirking ape reminded her

" Exactly!" she exclaimed " They had that little fang on their shirts or armor, it was a-" she pointed her claw at the ape who spoke previously

" A bear fang" the soldier added with the same grin on his face

" That's right" She looked at the helpless cheetahs " Do you know them by any chance?"

The cats snarled but didn't say a word

"Just as I thought" turning her head away she continued " They were pretty sure they knew you, some of those guys were screaming something about revenge, or were they yelling something about being avenged? Anyway they were quite mouthy just like you two, you should really meet up with them I'm sure you would get along just fine" She stopped and slapped her forehead with her paw " What am I thinking? You won't get acquainted because they are all dead " She shook her head and lowered it " Silly me, I always tend to forget such trivial things" With her head low, she looked at the felines with a corner her eye and smiled under her nose.

The cheetahs stared at her with burning eyes, shaking and with their fists clenched so firmly that blood was dripping from their hands, trying not to get provoked by her insults. They both wanted to shut that poisonous mouth of hers but they knew there is no chance for it to happen. They decided to stand down, they won't give her the satisfaction.

She began to circle the cheetahs adopting an even more cheerful tone" Thanks to our little chit-chat I completely forgot about the thing I wanted to tell you, enough of digressions, listen" She cleared her throat " There was that little kid in the village running through a street with his father chasing him yelling at the cub to stop. I was just in time to catch him, with the little brat in my paws his father fell on his knees and started begging me not to hurt him and to release his son." She chuckled " Asking me for mercy, can you imagine?"

Without even looking at the cheetahs she continued " It gets funnier just listen. The guy just wouldn't shut up so I proposed him a game, I will consider his pleading only when he will create something special for me using some unique parts that I will provide , I like resourceful people. To encourage the guy I promised that his son will be watching us all the time. He accepted almost instantly but how he could know that I'll use his kid for the parts?".

She smiled " So I cut the little brat into pieces, the father only managed to blink and almost every limb of his boy was lying in front of him, I only kept his head. Placing the head on a stone I turned its shock filled eyes at the father, and urged him to fulfill his side of the bargain, after all I kept my promise." She burst out laughing " You should see the look on his face! Priceless!"

She coughed and continued, chuckling " Instead of playing along the crazy fur rag charged me, but I'm not without a heart you know, I even managed to shed a tear, he really loved his son so I decided to let them get closer in this final moment. Grabbing the kids head I smashed it across the crazy cat's mug, when he dropped to the ground he extended his hands just as if he wanted to grab his son. This was the moment when I told him why I hate kids, eventually they will be the death of everybody, and to make sure he won't forget this lesson I cracked his skull using the brat's head"

The cheetahs were looking at their invader with such contempt and hate that even in this afterglow it was clearly visible that they were both red from rage, the color of their fur only seemed to intensify with the usually atmospheric glow.

She dumped the previously cheerful tone and replaced it with cold sincerity while stopping and turning towards the felines, watching them with a murderous and a full of disgust gaze " You cats are really filthy people, you stink and won't even allow the little me some fun, nevertheless I seriously admire this trait of yours, you just won't die, clinging to your pitiful existence with all your might. But that's good at least you give my boys some entertainment while they test their weapons on you checking if they are sharp enough" She looked around and stated with a assured tone " It looks like you served your purpose"

The apes surrounding her cried in joy, the sound of many yelling throats echoed throughout the remains of the village, while she herself looked back into the felines eyes and began moving closer towards the wounded one in the chest.

" Enough fooling around, you bore me, I have a reputation to keep and I make sure you will remember me before you die, also don't forget to pass the news to whatever place you cats are going to. After all everyone should know who cut you down, even those dead ones"

With that she shoved the wounded cheetah onto his back, he gasped faintly when she forcefully placed her paw on his chest to keep him in place, he couldn't utter a single word with his lungs squashed below her black paw. His companion made an attempt to stop her, but a nod of her head was a clear signal for the mercenaries, they grabbed him and forced the feline on his knees. He yanked and growled but he couldn't break free from their grasp.

She looked at the struggling feline " Simply killing you would be too easy, where is the fun in that? This is my free time and I deserve some entertainment. Trust me you won't forget who was the main actress of this show, it will be glorious, with music and cheers from the crowd." She shot a quick glance at the nearby ape and said with a demanding tone "Make sure he won't miss a thing."

Hearing that the ape moved behind the held feline and placed his thumbs just below the cat's brows and stretched his skin so his eyes were wide open while a second mercenary jerked his head forcefully towards her and held it in place. The cheetah snarled and tired to break free but with no luck, the apes didn't budge.

She sneered "Good" her smile only grew wider while she turned her head towards the feline below her paw "Where were we?" she pretended to think for a moment "Oh, yeah" With that her sneer was gone only to be replaced by a menacing expression "Showtime"

She thrust her claw into the cheetahs chest not to deep avoiding more serious injuries and moved it backwards tearing off his skin. He screamed in pain and started thrashing, wanting to escape from this horrible suffering. The sight didn't allow the second feline to remain calm, he roared and began jerking with all his might, he put so much strength into it that an another ape was necessary to hold him or else he would break free.

He kept growling and thrashing relentlessly but to no avail, the cheetah kept doing so until his whole strength escaped him, panting heavily he stopped fighting. The apes forced the feline to look again at the scene in front of him, seeing that vile creature towering above his companion roused some hidden strength in him, allowing the cheetah one more roar.

She looked around and smiled triumphantly " We have the music and a sincere applause from the crowd no less!" she exclaimed and began bowing her head quickly in every direction "Thank you, thank you" she adopted the same evil look when she focused again on the laying feline "I'm just warming up, I can promise you one thing though, this will be an unforgettable moment."

She shallowly thrust her claws into the cheetah's shoulders, he gritted his teeth and hissed not letting her any more satisfaction from his suffering. But even a toughest soldier will howl in pain when there will be enough pressure applied. She lowered her head towards his hand just to clamp her teeth on his forefinger, with the finger between her teeth she swiftly and powerfully jerked back her head tearing it off from his hand.

A stream of blood shot from the wound, the cheetah screamed at the top of his lungs, he hit the ground with the back of his head several times and arched his body upwards as far as he could when the almost unbearable surge of pain ran through his every limb. She raised her head and looked directly at the cat just to swallow the finger in front of his eyes. He turned his head and closed his eyes not wanting to look at her, the moment he felt the emerald stare leaving him he opened his eyes just to see a black head heading towards his second hand. When he felt her breath on his fingers he began curling and twitching them in every possible manner, in a pitiful attempt to defend them from her sharp teeth. That wasn't enough, since she clamped her jaw on his forefinger seconds later. She repeated the same move as before, and just as before the same full of agony scream accompanied her.

She watched the shaking feline and waited for him to catch some breath, after all she wanted him to feel every single thing. The moment he calmed himself a little her teeth sank into his abdomen, not deep but it was enough to drag the skin and bits of flesh with them when she jerked her head backwards. He screamed and began thrashing once more, but the firm paws didn't allow him to move. She munched the skin with utmost pleasure just to take another shallow bite at the other side of his belly.

The cheetah held by the apes began growling, shouting and screaming at the dragoness the moment she raised her head. His companion is being eaten alive and he can't do anything to help him, he wanted to turn his head as far as he could just to not watch this horrible scene, but even this was taken away from him, he saw and heard everything clearly. After swallowing another piece of his body she moved lower to take a small bite of his thigh, she was making sure the cheetah will feel every single bite before he expires, the show must go on after all.

She kept biting the cat, picking the spots on his body that allowed her victim to survive for as long as possible, every time she tore off of him a piece of flesh, the cheetah screamed shouting himself hoarse eventually. She kept chewing the cat again and again until no sound escaped the feline's throat, swallowing the last bit of his flesh she wiped the blood from her snout and leaned closer towards the cheetah's face.

His eyes were wide open, some tears were flowing down his cheeks, a piece of a tongue was hanging from his opened mouth, he had to bit it accidently during this torture, severing a tongue using your own teeth is no small feat, but when circumstances demand everything's possible, the feline's ruptured teeth a proof for that. The cheetah wasn't breathing, life has finally left him, but the palpable agony plastered on his face was a sign for her of a job well done.

"Gotta say that he was a good performer, his constant singing pushed me into a trance, I felt just like I could do it for the whole day, but like everyone else he couldn't keep up with me" She sighed proudly "Damn I'm good" With that her green eyes focused on the restrained feline " Hell of a memory right? But I can see you are eager for more and the well-being of my fans is my biggest concern"

The cheetah didn't say a word, he was just trembling involuntarily, with some tears flowing down his face. She dragged the corpse closer towards him while she laid down on the opposite side, with that she had a good look at his wide opened eyes.

"Let's consolidate this memory shall we?" She licked her snout and opened her mouth ready to take the bite, but just when her teeth touched the body she stopped and looked at the trapped cheetah "Where are my manners?!" she exclaimed loudly just like she realized she forgot about something important " All this time I've been eating alone completely forgetting to offer something to my most devoted fan, here, allow me to correct it"

She plunged her claw delicately just beside the dead feline's eye, made a little circle around it, the eye was close to falling out when she was about to finish it. The moment she saw that, she thrust her claw deeper and with a careful but confident motion he plucked the eyeball from its socket. She knew what she was doing, the eye was pulled out intact with a long, bloody and disgusting optic nerve attached to its horizontal section, every surgeon would be full of admiration.

With the eye in her paw she extended it towards the restrained feline, just when she was close enough she shot a quick glance towards one of the apes and nodded her head. The mercenary recognized the signal instantly, he wasn't the only one, the trapped cheetah also knew what this is all about. Suddenly new strength awakened inside him, he jerked so forcefully surprising the apes holding his eyes and head, they lost the grip and he began shaking his head from side to side gritting his teeth as hard as he could. The apes growled angrily and moved to restrain him again, one of them grabbed his head with such force that he almost squashed it in his hands, a second one opened his eyes while the third one tried to pry open his mouth, he placed one of his hands below his nose and grabbed his chin with the other one. The ape began pulling with all his strength but the cheetah's mouth was kept tightly shut, shouting furiously he clenched his armored fist and punched the cheetah with such power that the apes holding him lost the grip again, the cheetah's head went to a side after the blow, some teeth shot out from his mouth and blood started to flow down his chin. The apes restrained him again but this time the third mercenary had no problems opening his mouth.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk , your parents never told you that its impolite to refuse food and drinks from your host in such a manner? " She placed a paw on her chest "I'm deeply hurt" Moments later she lowered it and sneered "Luckily for you I forgive easily"

With that she shoved the eye into the cheetah's mouth just between the teeth with its nerve dangling from his chin, the moment she withdrew her paw the ape shut his jaw forcefully. The cheetah's sharp teeth pierced the eye's vitreous body momentarily, it's white gelatinous structure spread out down the feline's throat and mouth. The effort to keep his teeth clamped was futile against the strong ape's hands, the mercenary forced his mouth open and made him to chew on the eye while an another mercenary arched back his head forcing him to swallow its contents. With the nerve almost halfway down his throat he began to tremble and started to grumble as if choking. Knowing what's about to happen the ape's released his head, the moment their hands withdrew his head flopped towards the ground and he began vomiting. It took a while but eventually he finished with all of today's food laying on the ground in a repulsive pool. The ape's burst out laughing while he panted and coughed heavily, the mocking didn't last long as he was restrained and forced to look upon the "host" again.

She watched him with a concerned expression "You should have told me that you don't like this kind of food, nobody forced you to eat it after all" Her words made the mercenaries around her smile and chuckle. " I suppose you won't have any objections if I continue my dinner?" She shot a quick glance at the spew on the ground "Since obviously you are not hungry" Focusing her eyes on the cheetah she stared at him in complete silence for a while " I'll take that as a 'no'"

Opening her mouth wide she sank her teeth deeply into the dead cheetah's chest tearing off quite an appreciable bit of flesh. She looked directly into the restrained feline's eyes while she slowly began chewing the meat in her mouth. Blood started to flow down her snout and bits of flesh stood out from her maw as she clumsily yet intentionally turned it inside her mouth. With the last loud gulp she licked her snout and lowered her head for another bite.

This time however her teeth sank just above the feline's waist, with an audible snap she began raising her head upwards pulling out the intestines from his body. She kept doing so until she couldn't raise it anymore, only with her head at its peak she started biting the organ and swallowing some of its tiny pieces. Every time she did that she jerked her head upwards pulling out more bowels until she couldn't feel any more pressure, meaning there was no more of this organ left inside him. After it was all out she suck the remaining intestines, when no more could fit inside her mouth she began chewing the organ. She renewed the motion when she swallowed a piece, just like she would be eating a spaghetti .

After finishing with the organ she prepared for another bite, this time however she made her way towards the cheetah's arm. Her teeth sank deep into his flesh and found their way into the bone, her powerful muzzle was big enough to hold all of his limb inside. She thrust the claws on one of her front paws in the cheetah's body while she jerked her head back forcefully tugging the arm. After the second attempt a sound of breaking bones and ripping skin could be heard as she tore off the limb from the feline's body. Blood spouted in every direction when the limb left the cat's shoulder , she didn't mind, raising her head she looked back at the restrained cheetah with the arm in standing out from her mouth, blood was dripping onto the ground in streams and a bone protruded from one side.

She craned her neck towards the feline and smiled before taking a bite on the arm, the cheetah could hear every sound, the blood dripping onto the ground, the ripping of flesh and the cracking of bones as the limb was slowly disappearing down her gullet. When the arm was gone she reached into her mouth and pulled a small claw from it, she ran her tongue across her teeth until she found something stuck between them. She began poking at her teeth with the claw until she managed to pull out some bit of skin, she looked at it with contempt just to flick the claw away moments later. With a smile she returned to her dinner.

She started to bite the corpse, violently ripping the skin, shattering the bones just a predator who caught his prey. She kept going until there was nothing left of the cheetah expect for some tuft of fur and tattered pieces of cloth. She looked at the restrained feline with a satisfied expression, his eyes spoke volumes. The fiery warrior full of verve and a will to fight for his people was gone, replaced by a weathered person who experienced something close at hand, something nobody should have gone through. His will broken as realization clouded his mind, a feeling of defeat and pain with a vision of a black dragoness at the lead.

"I can see you enjoyed the show, I'm glad and I hope you will spread the word of my great performance" She smirked and looked around the village " As much as I would like to entertain you further I can't, more pressing matters you understand" She leaned closer and whispered into the cat's ear "But don't worry, I'm leaving you in good hands" with that she turned around and shouted "He's all yours!"

A cry of joy filled the street as the bloodthirsty mercenaries surrounded the cheetah, ready to have some fun for themselves. After she took some steps she stopped and yelled without even looking at them " And boys, take your time!"With that she began walking and smiled mischievously when a sound of an armored fist hitting a jaw was heard.

Burning or destroyed buildings surrounded her, the acrid smoke hanging in the air didn't bother her at all, in fact it was pleasantly addictive. She couldn't stop smiling as she inhaled it realizing that another village has fallen and every new one added to her collection only made her reputation worse. Everyone in the Realms will hear about her, everyone will tremble at just the sound of her name and what's more important she will leave a mark on this land, a mark so deep that she will be a main topic of a conversation for years to come. That's exactly what she wanted, let them remember the dragoness who ruined them, let them remember her as one of the curses of this land, after all she worked hard for it.

She swaggered through the street moving her head from side to side examining the destruction, there was practically no house left standing, almost all of them laid in ruins. Blood flowed down the roads in streams and bodies littered the streets, both feline and ape. There was nothing more satisfying for her eyes than the sight of a carnage, a desperate struggle to cling to life by the people of this land that always ended with their defeat, only thinking about it filled her tainted heart with joy.

Sounds of ongoing fights could still be heard as some stragglers made their final stand most likely cornered in a remains of a building. She turned around a corner and stopped when she heard a couple of angry mercenary shouts coming from ahead. A cheetah popped out from the smoke, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him while looking behind his shoulder. After a few meters he turned his head to see what's in front of him, the feline only managed to goggle when a blade-like tail ran through his chest cutting him in half, sending the upper part of the body slightly into the air. She wiped the iron end of her tail on the cheetah's remains, just when she finished a group of apes stopped near her and looked at the corpse completely surprised.

"Report" she said coldly

A bulky ape stepped out from their ranks " The village is almost completely under our control Mistress, only a handful of the defenders remain but we will finish them off soon"

" Casualties?"

"Plenty, but we are ready to advance again if that's what you wish Mistress"

"Survivors?"

The ape winced " We... we found one of our own tortured by a pair of cats, before he died he told them about our plans. You killed one of the torturers Mistress, the other one can't be far ahead"

"Anyone else?"

The ape gulped " Some civilians but I already ordered to send the hounds after them"

She remained silent for a moment, and began walking " Leave the civilians" After some steps she shouted "What are you waiting for? A small fortune for the first soldier who brings me the runner's head!" A cheerful cry from the group echoed as the mercenaries began their hunt.

She lead them with a firm paw and most of the time failures ended bloody, but after time she learned that failures lead sometimes to something far more better than the previously set plan. They feared her and they should, but cannon fodder or not armies require good morale and nothing boost it better for the mercenaries then a vision of being overwhelmed with glittering gems. She sauntered through the streets admiring the destruction until a sound of nearby fighting caught her attention, just out of curiosity she decided to check who is still resisting his unavoidable fate.

A roar that only one kind of creatures emitted came from a nearby building, creatures she is very familiar with. She rounded a corner and took a peek inside a huge ruined building, she didn't care about what purpose it served previously, what it contained was really important. A terribly wounded adult green dragon with filled with pure hatred brown eyes, a dun underbelly , green wings with mottled grey membranes and two long yellow horns on his head was driven back into a corner. His whole body covered in long deep cuts, almost all of them bleeding profusely, some deep wounds on his side, front and back paws just like something bit him and tore off his scales, the membranes on his wings tattered completely preventing the dragon from leaping into the air. Swords and spears protruded from his body, some of the blades sank so deep into his flesh that only a hilt could be seen, it looked like he kept breathing only thanks to his arrogance that chased away even Death itself.

Or it might be something else, just beside him on the ground she saw a dragoness of similar colors laying completely still, she was beautiful once even she could see it but now she was nothing else than a lifeless corpse. The natural beauty stolen forcefully from her, the carcass gnawed practically everywhere and in some places no scale and flesh was left revealing white bones . One of her horns broken in half, claws on her front paws shattered completely, one of her wing laying unnaturally on the ground, it was almost completely torn off of her body, just like a door barely held by its hinges. A huge pool of blood covered the floor under her, it didn't take long to notice from where it came from , a long gash on her neck was the reason. The cut was so deep that it was surprising that her head was still attached to her neck.

It seemed that he didn't want to accept that she was gone protecting her body just like a zealot protects something very sacred and dear to him, or he did realize that she was dead and driven by rage he went berserk, either way it looked like he lost his mind. That wasn't arrogance that was something else, something she didn't understand but whatever it was she was sure about one thing, there is no force in the whole world that can stop Death. You can chase it away for a while, you can stall it but you cannot cheat it, she had experience in this matter, after all they were like a family since she's been calling for it almost every day. She could feel and even smell Death when it was reaching for its victim and now the cold steel of its scythe was hovered just above the green dragon's head ready to release him from all this torment.

She wasn't the only one who noticed it, many glowing yellow eyes penetrated the dense smoke still hanging in the building, the eyes focused on the dragon, watching him intently and seeing how life was slowly leaving him through the many wounds. Patience in some cases is a virtue, allow it to call the shots and sometimes you get what you want without even making an attempt to claim it. Not everyone could appreciate it, a snout revealing itself as a proof of that. The hound snarled as it watched the dragon and drool started to drip from its mouth when the smell of a fresh dragon blood invaded its nostrils. The hounds eyes narrowed and moments later it roared smelling an easy kill. The hound pounced at the dragon opening its gaping maw and stretching it to an enormous size ready to make a proper bite.

The beast completely forgetting that the dragon had some strength still left in him, as the creature approached the dragon slapped it with his tattered wing sending it crashing on the ground. The dragon's teeth clamping on the hound's chest, with the beast in his maw the dragon began flinging his head quickly in every direction. One final turn and he will hurl the body at the beasts ahead, as he prepared to release the carcass he saw a black snout with green eyes staring at him. His eyes sparkled with hate as he opened his mouth , the punctured and crushed hound's body hit the ground.

"Lightbane!" the dragon roared deafeningly

"Owww, stop it, you flatterer!" she giggled and waved her paw shyly

" You are going to pay for all of this one day!"

She dropped the cheerful attitude "You know I keep hearing this every time when I'm going to play and in the end it's always you who keep dying"

The dragon roared once more " Remember that I'll be watching you. Every scratch, every burn, every single pain, you experience will be directed by me. I'll make you suffer just like you made me but this time I'll be laughing!" the male coughed up some blood

She sneered " A friend's advice ,you should really save your strength you don't look too well"

"I'll be joining the Ancestors soon" he looked at the body of the dragoness and whispered with palpable guilt "I'm sorry" with a shake of his head he focused his eyes on her black snout again "At least I'll die with honor, knowing that I don't have to kill innocent people to satisfy my overgrown ego"

He roared once again and ran towards her. After a few steps his paws bent under him making his belly touch the ground, groaning he pulled himself up renewing his advance. With each step the dragon became weaker, he stopped and inhaled the air preparing to unleash his elemental powers, but just when he was about to release it some powerful teeth clamped on his neck, he gurgled as they sank deep not allowing the hound to fall while it dangled above the ground holding tightly to his flesh. Two more beasts followed soon after biting the dragon's front and back paw, bringing him to the ground.

She craned her neck closely towards his head "What were you saying? The dragon only gurgled while he looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry but I don't understand you, could you repeat that?" she moved her head closer almost to the point when their noses touched and focused only on his eyes just like she was reading from them.

"No!" she exclaimed "Your telling me that there is no one else in the village?!" she asked with a shocked and dreary tone. There was a flash in the dragon's eyes, it happened so fast that an inexperienced watcher would never notice it, she wasn't one of them "Your lying" she stated coldly " I have a knack for these sort of things, I can tell when someone's trying to protect something very dear to him, just want to tell you that I'll find it. Anyway I see that you are leaving us, just don't forget to mention my name to the Old Guys" she winked.

The dragon kept staring at her all the time, his eyes cursing her with tremendous hate until his pupils became wider and lost their fiery color as the last portion of life finally left him. The dragon's body fell lifelessly on the ground and the hounds who helped him in leaving this world released his flesh. Some other beasts joined them soon after and with a jubilant roar the creatures began their feast.

Smirking she continued onwards, this one had a secret and nothing made her happier than an surprise waiting somewhere nearby. She walked around the building looking for anything unusual but couldn't find anything, she decided to check the nearby houses. One side of the road was covered with ruined buildings that had nothing interesting in them, while there was nothing on the other side, whatever was there previously was completely destroyed now. Just as she began checking some other houses she heard a hoarse laughter, her gut told her that she just located the surprise.

She rounded the corner just to see a sight that confirmed her hunch. She stood near a ruined house, one side of it was completely blocked by rubble while the wall that protected it from the streets was completely destroyed, revealing an interesting sight. This was probably some sort of a dining room, long and small tables covered almost all of the floor and broken chairs were scattered all around the place. What really caught her attention was a sight of four apes covering each side of a long table, occasionally hitting their axes on the ground while laughing hysterically. She hunkered down and focused wondering what gave them so much fun, as one of the apes hit the ground she heard a squeaking sound and a tip of a little green tail stood out from under the table.

"Oh my, I hope you are a dragon of your word" with that she pulled herself up and began strolling towards the apes with a smug smile on her snout.

She stopped near them but they didn't even notice her as they were completely lost in their little game. She cleared her throat and the apes jumped and spun around swiftly to face their general with terrified faces. She nodded her head towards the street giving them a clear signal that the fun is over and she wants to be left alone, the apes complied without a word.

She hunkered down and scanned the surroundings, her eyes sparkled when she saw a green shape under a table on the opposite side of the building. She made her way there and laid on the ground, there was a very young small light green dragon still considered as a hatchling with dun underbelly and mottled grey membranes huddled up in a ball in the corner. The child covered himself with his wings just as he wanted to create a protective barrier around him, blocking all the horrors of the outside world, but it wasn't strong enough as the little dragon was trembling and sobbing terribly.

"Hush little one , you are safe now" she comforted the child with a charming and soft voice. The hatchling acted like he didn't hear a thing as he continued to tremble. "No one is going to hurt you anymore" The dragon took a peek from behind his little wings just to cover himself with them again. " Do not be afraid, I'm here to help" The dragon continued to sob for a while but after some time he took another peek just to hide again moments later. This time however she didn't say a word giving the child the chance to overcome his fear, the hatchling repeated the same move for a while to finally reveal his wet snout from all these tears. A charmingly smiling black dragoness was everything he saw.

"B...b...bad peop...people" he sobbed

"They are gone, you are safe little one"

"They... they...wan...wanted...to...to... hurt...m...m...me"

"They will never do that again, I swear"

The child wiped a tear from his snout " they...they are re...really g...one Miss?

"Yes, there is nothing to be afraid of anymore" She extended her paw towards him "Come, you are safe now"

The child froze in place but after a while he reluctantly stood up. Whimpering he made little and slow steps towards the smiling dragoness, just when he reached the end of the table the hatchling craned his neck just to hide it seconds later and look at the dragoness. She gave him a slight bow and whispered "It's safe". He craned his neck again and looked around quickly just to hide just as fast, trembling he looked at the black paw ahead, whimpering he took some steps back, looked around and dashed towards it. She grabbed him and moved her paw to her chest giving the hatchling a light embrace while covering him with her black wing just like a loving mother. The hatchling burst out crying and started to tremble even more violently.

"Hush little one, hush, everything's going to be alright" she said with an affectionate tone while caressing gently the young dragon scales

"T..th...the bad people t...t...they h...hurt e...every..o...one" the dragon sobbed

She squeezed the hatchling tighter "Hush"

"Th...they h...hurt my...my fr...fr...friends I...I...I-"

"Don't think about it little one, they won't hurt anyone else anymore"

He kept whimpering and another stream of tears started flowing down from his eyes. She kept caressing his scales delicately without saying a word, allowing the little drake to calm himself.

He wiped a tear from his eye " W...why did t..they do t...this Miss?

Her paw stopped moving as she absorbed the unexpected question " I...I don't know, I really don't know, I shouldn't-" she blinked unconsciously several times and started to caress the hatchling again as she regained her composure "Maybe because they are just evil"

"Th...thank you Miss" the little dragon said after a moment of complete silence and cuddled to her scales

She gave the hatchling a tender kiss in the head " Tell me little one, what I can do for you?"

"Mommy...Daddy" the young dragon sobbed again

"You want me to take you to your parents?"

The young drake shifted and looked her in the eyes "Yes, please!" he exclaimed excitedly

She shot a quick glance at the ceiling and smirked "If that's what you wish"

A muffled squeak penetrated the sound of burning houses, she couldn't stop smiling as she raised her paw to look at her claws, there was an young, innocent and crimson blood dripping from them.

Cynder gasped and her eyes snapped open, the sound of cracking wood echoed in the dark cave. She was looking at a stone wall illuminated by the fire, her own shadow and dancing flames visible on it.

"Fuck" she muttered and rolled on her back placing a paw on her forehead. Sweating and panting heavily she stared at the barely visible ceiling. She kept gawking at it listening to her racing heart, it pounded at her chest forcefully just like it wanted to tell her what strenuous effort it had to overcome. She closed her eyes just to open them again seconds later, trying to slow her rapid breathing and to apologize to her heart for everything it had been through. It took a while but eventually she managed to calm herself down, when everything returned to its normal pace she shot a quick glance at the purple shape laying on the opposite side of the fire just to stare at the ceiling moments later.

"Spyro your sleeping?" she whispered and without giving him the time to respond she continued " I've had one of the weirdest dreams ever, I've been in some kind of a cheetah village and..." she closed her eyes, the still fresh images crossed her mind, she swallowed "And I did some really bad things there" she started to stare at the ceiling once more.

"It was so real" she continued after a brief pause " I could see every single detail, a rock laying on the ground here and a twig there. That's not all, I also felt every single thing..." her voice trailed off as she moved her paw to look at it while she touched her sharp teeth with the other one. The images of destruction and death flashed before her eyes, the taste of flesh, bones and blood aroused her palate and the wrong but yet pleasurable sensation of taking somebody's else life filled a portion of her heart. Cynder shuddered and shook her head.

" I can't get this out of my head, I see the images every time I close my eyes, crazy right?" She asked while staring at the ceiling rubbing her forehead. He didn't respond "Spyro are you even listening to me?" Still the same thing, she turned her head to look at him and raised her voice "Spyro?" Nothing.

She rolled over on her belly and pulled herself up, her eyes focused on the purple shape on the opposite side of the fire. "Spyro?" she tried once more but there was still no response. Cynder began moving towards him, he was laying on his side with his back facing her. "Spyro?" she tried again after some steps until she stopped just right behind him.

"Spyro?" she asked again, louder this time. "Good, I'm trying to talk with you and you are just ignoring me, I know you are tired but at least you could say something!" she exclaimed, pretty agitated. He didn't budge, after a while worry took the place of anger as her heart slowly was beginning to race "Spyro?" Nothing. She raised her paw "Spyro?" and began extending it towards him" Spyro?". When her paw touched his scales Cynder called his name again but there was still no reaction.

With a frantic pace of her heart Cynder rolled him over onto his back so she could a good look at him. Cynder's blood froze and her heart jumped up to her throat when she saw his closed eyelids and the terrible deep wound on Spyro's chest that was bleeding profusely.

"No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening, Spyro!" she yelled and placed her paws on the wound trying desperately to stop the bleeding "You can't die your hear me! You can't die!" Cynder screamed on the verge of tears as she squeezed the wound with all her might, just to prevent any more blood from escaping.

Her paws were completely soaked with the crimson thick red liquid in seconds " Don't leave me, wake up" she sobbed and placed her paws on both sides of his head while she looked at his closed eyelids. "Wake up, I beg you" Cynder closed her eyes and lowered her head crying loudly. Streams of tears were flowing down her eyes, as a feeling of defeat, resignation, guilt and anger filled her entire being. "WAKE UP!" Cynder screamed at the top of her lungs while she opened her eyes and shook his head.

She jerked back in surprise as his filled with hatred brown eyes snapped open, and yelped when his growling mouth with many sharp teeth headed for her throat.

Cynder gasped and opened her eyes to look at a stone wall illuminated slightly by the sun. She quickly looked behind her just to see the fire completely extinguished with only a small black smoke hovering above it and a purple shape laying on the opposite side. Cynder swiftly pulled herself up and ran towards Spyro, she stopped behind him and extended her paw but when she was about to touch his scales she froze. Cynder's heart began to race when she remembered that horrible sight, she wouldn't be able to bear it for the second time. Cynder decided to try a different approach.

She withdrew her paw and leaned almost to the point when her cheek touched his and began to listen intently. Cynder sighted in relief and felt like a huge weight was lifted from her heart when she heard and felt his calm breath. She quickly circled him to check his chest and exhaled loudly when she saw that there was no deep wound on it. Cynder looked him over, Spyro seemed more bruised than before but he was alive and that's what mattered.

"_It was just a dream, a stupid dream"_ she thought to herself and shook her head. Cynder focused her eyes on his calm purple snout and a warm sensation ran through her entire body when she realized that he will still be here, just beside her. Not that she made it easy for him, their fights and her weird behavior must have startled him and adding a strange dream to the pool wouldn't be much helpful. She was afraid that she will push him away and lose this precious friendship and that was the last thing she wanted. Her romantic feelings towards him were the reason for all this, she pushed him too hard but for a good reason, at least Cynder thought so. Besides it hurts too much, her heart almost screamed in pain when she thought that he doesn't think the same way about her. She made her decision, never again she will give him hints about her feelings, it's all up to Spyro, if he cares about her the same way she cares about him she can wait for him to finally reveal his feelings, if not... well then, she would rather lie to herself that he will change his mind eventually than hear the truth.

With a sad sigh Cynder turned around and made her way towards the bright exit. She squinted when she stepped out of the pitch dark cave, there was no sign of the rain and the dark clouds, a clear blue sky with a slowly raising sun taking their place. The sound of the howling wind was replaced by a whizzing soft breeze and bird's song. It took her a while to adjust her eyes to the sun's bright rays, it almost fell like her eyes haven't seen daylight for weeks. Cynder yawned, stretched and with fully opened eyes made her way towards the refreshing pond.

As she lowered her head Cynder saw her own reflection, thanks to the dragon's extraordinary regeneration process she looked like she never been hurt in her life, every single wound was healed completely. Cynder began drinking and as the water was flowing down her gullet she felt a slight pounding in her head that was pretty annoying. She groaned softly and closed her eyes while she began rubbing her forehead. The weird dreams had to be the reason of this pain, the rubbing didn't help so she decided to continue her drink. The moment she opened her eyes and looked at the pond a blurry reflection ran alongside its surface and it wasn't hers.

She spun around quickly narrowing her pupils and adopting a defensive stance ready to repel any kind of attack, none came. A tall slope, some rocks, a cave and the occasional tree was everything she could see. But where her eyes had failed Cynder's instinct didn't, she could feel something, something dark and sinister somewhere around here, she kept moving slowly looking around trying to find the source of this eerie sensation. Cynder didn't find a thing and when she was just about to give up taking this whole thing for a simple misgiving a barely hearable laughter coming from the pretty empty terrain caught her attention.

Cynder ran to the wall and started to edge alongside it towards the sound, that way at least one side was protected, after some steps she stopped and winced while she rubbed her forehead, the headache intensified in a very bad moment. There was no time to worry about that now, as she heard another noise coming from ahead, concentrating she continued on her way. Cynder kept moving and the sound only intensified with each step, just when she was about to reach the end of the tall wall a feeling of dread ran through her whole body sending a chill down her spine. She could now clearly hear it's low laughter, whatever it was it was close, just around the corner. Cynder pressed herself to the wall and moved silently until there was no more space left for her to hide, with a silent sigh she jumped out from her hiding place ready to face the source of this luridness.

Her emerald eyes went wide open when she realized that there was nothing in front of her besides the small slopes, trees and green grass. _"_I'm going crazy" Cynder muttered. She was glad that she didn't wake up Spyro when there was still the chance, he had seen enough of her lunacy already, more was not necessary. Cynder rubbed her painful forehead once more and turned around ready to head back to the cave. Just when her tail faced the open space another sound reached her, Cynder spun around, she saw something with the corner of her eye, the moment she focused a shape moved behind some trees in the distance casting shadow on their hunks.

She ran towards them and groaned when she was just about to reach the trees, Cynder touched her head once again but this time the pain was more severe just like something was pounding inside her skull. A laughter and a passing shadow on the ground caused her to focus anew, low on her paws she began slowly moving in its direction but whenever she got close enough the shadow seemed to appear some distance away from her. Cynder tired of this stalking ran after the shadow but she couldn't catch it, whenever she made a couple of steps forward the shadow vanished just to show itself farther ahead out of her reach.

After a while Cynder got extremely dizzy, she leaned over a nearby hunk and placed her paws on her head, groaning she began massaging it trying to ease the pain somehow but it seemed only to intensify with each motion almost to the point when she felt her skull was just about to crack from the inside. Another low laughter was heard in the distance and a shadow ran alongside the green ground, mocking her, provoking the black dragoness urging her to follow it. Gritting her teeth Cynder done what she was told, whoever is taunting her will get what's coming for him.

She ran after it for some time but suddenly she was out of breath, Cynder leaned again on a nearby hunk panting heavily as she tried to regain even a slight portion of her strength. Another laugh reached her, raising her head and looking in the direction it came from Cynder began her chase once more. This time however she couldn't really start running as everything swirled before her eyes, she lurched for quite a while following the sound bumping into every rock, tree, wall and who knows what else. Sometimes a very close object with a blink of an eye seemed to appear farther away while a distant object was just about at paw's reach. Cynder couldn't really tell how much time has passed but eventually she found herself pressing against a cold stone wall with a familiar opening in it, a powerful feeling of dread ran through her when she was about to reach the cave's entrance. Without really caring for her own safety she entered, looking around the cave with her blurry eyes.

Cynder's focus returned instantly when she set her eyes upon a strange being standing near Spyro. It was a pitch-dark unsubstantial creature its body covered in dust, it looked like a living shadow. It turned its head towards her, a pair of completely white eyes met her emerald gaze, Cynder stared at it completely frozen not wanting to provoke it but just then the creature raised its arms above its head while staring at her all the time, it was holding something. The moment she looked at it her eyes went wide, the thing the creature held had the same shadowy structure, it looked like a weapon, a sword to be more precise.

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled at the top of her lungs and dashed towards the shadow. She saw Spyro shifting as he was slowly waking up, the creature seemed unconcerned slowly turning its head to look at the purple dragon laying on the ground at its feet. Cynder felt she was running as fast as the wind when she saw the sword heading down ready to be thrust deep into his back. Just when the dark tip was about to reach his scales she jumped, momentarily Cynder found herself close enough to the creature, it was time to strike. She slashed with her claws reaching the shadow, a howl of pain echoed in the cave as the creature dissolved into a black mist. The moment her paws touched the ground Cynder couldn't stop herself thanks to the speed she gained making her to stumble over something, She landed on her belly and slid on the ground for a while.

"Cynder? What's gotten into you?!" Spyro shouted and hissed moments later

She quickly pulled herself up " Spyro you should really sleep with one eye open I barely made it, how is it possible that you didn't feel a thing? It should wake you up!" Cynder shouted back at him with concerned anger

" Next time shake me when you try to wake me up" Spyro touched his back with his wing.

Cynder furrowed her brow "What are you tal-" she didn't finish the sentence when she saw him raising his wing stained with fresh blood. Momentarily she felt that her paw was damp, Cynder raised it to get a good look at it. She gasped when she noticed her claws, crimson blood dripping from them.

Her expression turned to that of anxiety and worry " Oh no, Spyro" she muttered and ran quickly towards him. He watched her with surprised eyes as she looked him over, Cynder gasped once more when she saw some cuts on his back exactly the size of her claws, she touched the wounds with shaking paws just as if she tried to heal them " We...we need to patch you up, there...there has to be something here " Cynder said with a wavering voice and turned around, trembling.

Just when she made a step he grabbed her tail " It's ok Cynder" Spyro said caringly

A tear formed in the corner of her eye when she felt his touch, she spun around quickly and hugged him, squeezing him so tightly almost making his eyes to pop out from their sockets "I'm sorry Spyro, I'm so sorry" tears started to flow down her cheeks

"There is nothing to worry about, it's just a scratch" he tenderly started to stroke her back with his wing and paw

" I never wanted... It was... I don't know what happened" she sobbed

"Cynder relax I've been through worse, besides I probably deserved it anyway" he smiled

His little joke made her smile weakly " You did, but I never wanted it to be this way" she raised her paw that was placed on Spyro's wound to look at it, his blood forced her smile to vanish instantly " I'm beginning to see things, I could swear there was something standing just beside you and I tried to stop it, I tried but it was only my imagination. I think I'm going crazy" Cynder hung her head from his shoulder and closed her eyes

"You are not crazy, there has to be a reason for all of this, don't worry we will figure this out" he said with a comforting tone stroking her back even more gently

His words made her feel happy beyond imagination, he was the only friend she had and no matter how many troubles she caused he never thought about leaving her "Thank you" she whispered.

They have spent quite a while in this embrace but after some time Cynder shook off all this bad feelings and with new determination she raised her head, slowly opening her eyes. The moment they were fully opened she gasped when she set her gaze upon the entrance of the cave, there was a clearly visible shadow on the ground which was getting bigger with each second.


	8. Chapter 8

**Found the time, so here it is. **

**Thanks for all the reviews btw, I really appreciate it**

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Chapter 8

Cynder broke their embrace, growling she focused on the exit of the cave, ready to strike if necessary. Spyro was completely caught by surprise, he watched her with confused eyes just to see her nodding towards the opening, he followed her lead. Momentarily he knew what startled her and this time she wasn't the only one seeing this, Spyro jumped next to her and bent on his paws, preparing himself for any kind of attack.

The dragons tails were wagging in anticipation as they watched the shadow on the ground getting bigger and bigger with each breath. Cynder's pupils narrowed as she nervously began scratching the stone floor with one of her claws. Was it real after all? Did it came back? He was seeing the same thing, meaning that she wasn't imagining it. The creature surprised her before almost killing the single friend she had, Cynder won't allow it to happen again. She wanted to pounce at it now, ending its existence once and for all, but she knew it's better not to rush into a fight because sometimes you get more than you bargained for.

Both dragons held their breaths when the shadow finally stopped growing just to see a lone figure stepping out from its cover moments later and blocking the sunlight when it stopped in the entrance.

" Heard you...here I looked... here I looked...feel you...touched...feel..." sounded a raspy voice which was getting louder with each step the figure made towards the young dragons.

The moment the figure came close enough they could make out some of its features. It was a male Cheetah with tan fur with black ringlets on his uncovered arms and legs. He wore only a dirty and tattered dark green coat with its hood covering his head, only the tip of his nose protruded from the darkness the hood created. The cheetah looked like he was traveling for days or weeks without even stopping for a short break. He was leaning against a scary looking, twisted brown wooden staff held in his right hand, with two wooden spines on its top and a green stone magically attached between them. The cheetah was undoubtedly a hermit, who decided to spend the rest of his life in seclusion, dedicating himself to nature, magic that was part of this world and experiments. Their solitude helped them achieve wonders which would be difficult to accomplish in a crowded city, but this knowledge came with a price. Spending years in a cave completely alone made them shy and cautious towards visitors but they still managed some sort of politeness for a simple greeting, not all hermits were like that, some shun people completely, blocking the outside world from their life. The barrier they created most of the time drove them crazy, utterly crazy.

The clicking sound of the staff hitting the stone floor echoed through the cave as the cheetah kept moving closer towards the two young dragons " Close... somewhere... or far?... here I looked... here I looked"

They watched the hermit as he got close and shot quick glances of surprise between themselves as he walked past them without even looking their way. " I hate hermits" Cynder whispered

" Need you... lost you... found you... where are you?... Here I looked... here I looked... feel you" the hooded figure touched the wall of the dais and began hitting it with his clenched fist moments later. " Need you... hear you..."

Spyro threw Cynder a meaningful look, she furrowed a brow then turned her head to look at the feline, moments later she looked at Spyro again with an incredulous expression just to set her eyes upon the cheetah once again. After staring at him for a while Cynder sighted quietly and nodded reluctantly.

Spyro focused on the hermit and cleared his throat " Excuse me?"

The cheetah turned around and started moving his head in every direction while sniffing " A call... heard you... where are you?... I feel you..."

Spyro shot Cynder a baffled glance, she shrugged and made little circles with her claw near one side of her head. Spyro looked at the cheetah and sighed, he started it so he might as well finish it.

"We are over here" Spyro said loudly and waved his paw

The hermit looked in their direction and froze" You? what... what are you doing here?" he looked around confused

" We are sorry, we didn't want to intrude but it was badly raining yesterday so we needed shelter, your cave was only one we found and it looked abandoned, we are deeply sorry" Spyro apologized as best as he could

"A cave...my cave...yes... of course" the cheetah's voice becoming more solid " My cave, impressive is it not?"

" Yeah, you've put a lot of work into it and it really looks like some sort of a cave specially prepared for alchemical experiments!" Spyro continued his conversation with the hermit

A proud white grin formed itself on the feline's face "Thank you very much for noticing, it's so rare this days to see youth appreciating someone's hard work"

" I've heard that hermits can make almost everything even from the simplest ingredients"

Cynder stared at Spyro smiling, it must have been his good- hearted nature that made people actually enjoy talking with him, he always knew what to say without offending anybody thanks to his caring personality, he knew how to speak to satisfy his natural curiosity without boring his interlocutor. People recognize goodness when they see it, it must be this gold heart of his that allows people to trust him instantly or perhaps they felt safe, important when they talked with him because they knew that there is at least one dragon in the Realms who cares about them. It was this gold heart which showed her that even despite her dark past she can be trusted if she really wants it and that was what kept her going, a beating gold heart filling her with its benevolent pace even if it was the only pace in the whole world she heard, it was enough for her.

The cheetah chuckled and coughed " You shame me boy but it's true, some of us specialize in those kind of things, they can make wonders, I've seen with my own eyes how a hermit brew a potion that allowed you to see in the dark by using only herbs!"

" Wow, you must be very happy to be able to create such things from scratch" Spyro said clearly amazed

"You think too much of me youngling I'm not that skilled, you see, alchemy is just my passion, I'm a healer by trade"

The purple dragon smiled " Everyone has to start somewhere"

The cheetah stomped his staff on the floor as to show that they have reached the point of this conversation" Exactly, passions have to be evolved that's why we have them in the first place" The hermit smiled" But as much as I enjoy our little conversation I know that whenever I have visitors they always have some questions to ask, tell me dragon what can this old cheetah do for you? Don't make this old fur keep you, I'm sure you have more important things to do"

Spyro shook his head "Thank you for your offer but we bothered you enough already"

The hermit smiled kindly " Not at all, please tell me what you need it will be my pleasure to help such an intelligent youngster like yourself"

Spyro thought for a moment " Could you tell us how to reach Warfang? We have never been in this part of the valley and we are lost"

The cheetah shook his head sadly " I'm sorry my dear boy but I've never heard about Warfang before"

"Then maybe you could point us in the direction of a nearby village?"

The hermit scratched his nose thoughtfully "There is a village just to the southeast of here, the moment you pass through two big trees leaning against each other turn slightly to the east and head in that direction until you reach a river and then move alongside it until you see the village, you can't miss it, my old friend Meadow lives there and I'm sure he will help you"

"Meadow?" Spyro blurt out impulsively happy to hear a familiar name

The cheetah nodded and smiled "Yes, Meadow, but I see that you know him so I won't keep you waiting, I wish you a safe travel my dear boy"

"Thank you" but before Spyro made a step a thought crossed his mind and a hazy picture of a plan formed itself before his eyes " Meadow's village is the closest one?"

"Yes"

"There are no other villages nearby? Maybe there is one just right past the forest?"

" Past the forest you say? The cheetah had been silent for a while lost in concentration " I don't think there is a village there, but I rarely have guest and my memory isn't as good as it used to be"

Cynder cocked her head slightly to the side as she watched Spyro, he touched his injured back and winced just like he was remembering something, the moment she saw the blood again on his wing guilt filled her heart

" You are sure that there was no one in the forest lately? the purple dragon finally said

The cheetah coughed " I live here for almost twenty years and the only thing I've met in there were wild animals, besides I've just came back from there and I didn't see anybody"

Spyro thought for a while and shook his head " Thank you for your time, we will be on our way now"

"If you ever need anything you know where to find me" the cheetah turned around and began walking towards the dais

"Actually..." Cynder's voice stopped the hermit in his tracks "...there is one thing you could do for us" the cheetah turned around" You see, my friend here is wounded and since you are a healer I thought that maybe you could help him"

"it's not necessary" Spyro protested

"It is" she threw him a look that left no place for objection

The cheetah looked alarmed "My dear boy, you are injured and you haven't said anything?" The hermit waved his hand" Follow me, my eyes aren't that good anymore"

Spyro looked at her with eyes filled with dissent but she just nodded her head towards the feline giving him a clear signal that she doesn't take '_No'_ as an answer. Reluctantly he followed the feline up the dais.

That particular place caught Cynder's attention, it was better illuminated than the rest of the cave, the moment she followed the sunlight she found out why. That big hole above the entrance was the reason, it allowed the rays to pass through it giving light where it was most needed, that way the hermit could make... well whatever he was making more easily. How he managed to create that hole still was a mystery but when you are not right in the head everything's possible it seems, nevertheless she had to admit that it was a clever and useful solution.

The cheetah's voice coming from the dais caught her attention " You younglings always get yourself into all kind of trouble, I can't even remember now how many injuries I've treated when I was still living in a village"

"It's just a scratch" Spyro responded calmly

The hermit chuckled " Of course it is! Whenever I ask It's always a scratch, I know you youngsters are more resistant than oldsters like myself but you keep forgetting that even the smallest wound can get infected. Now then, where is that cut?"

"On my back"

The cheetah made his way towards him and began inspecting the injury " Let me see... My, my those are some really bad cuts my boy and these are claws marks no less. You should stay out of the forest, the beasts there are pretty mean"

Spyro chuckled " Tell me about it but they have some good traits too" he smiled and looked at Cynder. She frowned giving him a "_You have no idea look_" and returned the smile moments later.

"You never know when monsters and wild animals will decide to attack, surprise is the key" the cheetah began to touch the wound really carefully.

Cynder stared at the hermit, he was giving Spyro too much attention for her liking, she can usually tell when someone is acting suspicious and since the hermit is obviously crazy you have to keep an eye on him all the time. It was then when she noticed the hermit turning around towards the wooden table, while he quickly licked one of his blood covered fingers.

"That wasn't creepy at all" Cynder muttered

The feline started to search for something on the table, throwing some stuff down onto the ground and every now and then he picked something from it, examined it just to flick it away, disappointed "There is something around here that I'm looking for and it's close I can feel it.." the cheetahs voice becoming less solid.

That caught Spyro's attention "All you alright?"

" Here I looked...here I looked..found you...here.." the hermit started to mumble once again.

Spyro furrowed a brow "Are you ok? Have you found what were you looking for?"

The cheetah stopped his search, every muscle stopped moving he looked like he just froze "Found you...found it...felt you..felt it...I...I...I NEED IT!" the hermit screamed and turned around quickly to face the Purple Dragon, Cynder noticed as something in the feline's hand reflected the sunlight casting a shadow on a nearby wall. Her heart jumped when she saw it was a dagger which the feline prepared to sink into the dragon's chest.

"Spyro! Watch out!" Cynder yelled at the top of her lungs.

He was caught completely by surprise, there was no chance he could avoid the cold steel now. Seeing this Cynder channeled her elemental powers and released her Siren Scream ability, a sheer, terrifying shriek filled the cave directed at the crazy hermit. Spyro was in the way but she had to do it, there was no other choice.

The moment her cry reached him, it looked like his paws wanted to run as fast as possible, doesn't matter where as long its far away from her, but his upper body protested, it wanted to stay even if it had difficulties to remain calm. Spyro was trembling violently and the dispute between his body parts left him paralyzed, luckily he was used to this feeling, at least that's what he always said. Cynder knew that he lied but one thing was sure, he was able to shake off this sensation faster than anyone else, after all that wasn't the first time he got caught in the radius of her Fear power.

Cynder blinked in shock when her scream reached the hermit, to her surprise the cheetah didn't turn his tail and flee, he only swayed on his legs. Luckily her fear element was strong enough forcing the cheetah to drop the dagger, the moment the weapon hit the ground the feline made some sluggish steps backwards. After a while he stopped and hunkered down while he placed his hand on his head, in that position the hermit began to rock slightly back and forth, mumbling something incoherently under his nose. That was the opportunity Spyro couldn't waste, after all they didn't come here looking for a fight, the clearly barmy hermit seemed to forget about it.

"Just calm down, we don't want to hurt you, there is noth-" before Spyro could finish his sentence the cheetah stood up screaming frantically, the moment he rose the green stone on his staff began to glow brightly. Still screaming he raised his wooden staff above his head just to stomp it on the ground.

The ground below Spyro's paws shook slightly and a powerful shockwave was created when the staff hit the stone floor, the shockwave lifted him from the ground and hurled the dragon into a wall in the far end of the cave. Cynder heard his groan of pain mixed with the noise of chunks of stone falling onto the ground after the impact. Momentarily a rumbling sound of something really thick breaking apart followed, a large crack running from top to bottom formed itself on the dais' wall after the shockwave .

Moments later the hermit jumped from the dais and landed on the ground below gracefully, as for his age he was still pretty agile. the cheetah began walking towards the Purple Dragon with a silver dagger held in his hand.

"Hey!" Cynder shouted at the hermit and prepared herself for the confrontation, to her surprise however the cheetah ignored her, uninterrupted he still kept walking in the same direction.

"Cynder just don't kill him!" Spyro yelled from the far end of the cave

"Hey! You are not forgetting something?" she shouted ironically at the cheetah once again but just as before he ignored her completely, only this time he seemed to walk a bit faster.

"Hey you nut-job! I'm over here!" Cynder tried once again to gain his attention but the effect remained the same

"Please just listen to us, we don't wa-" Spyro's shout was interrupted by the cheetah's menacing scream, there was a flash of green light when the hermit pointed his staff at him.

Cynder swayed on her paws when suddenly everything began to vibrate, a rumbling sound just like something tried to dig its way through the stone floor was heard. Cynder was thrown back when the ground was torn finally, there were some huge thick roots protruding from it, almost reaching the ceiling, her eyes traced their whole length just to notice some small pieces of the stone floor heading her way.

She jumped backwards and covered herself behind her black wings when the piece hit the ground with a loud thud and broke into many small chunks that were sent flying everywhere, some of them hitting her magenta membranes. When the last one bounced off her wings Cynder lowered them just to see a blinding green flash. When her vision returned she saw the roots stretching toward Spyro. The roots reached him in a blink of an eye, they wrapped themselves around his paws, one of the bigger ones wrapped itself around his belly and back blocking his wings, another one embraced his neck while the last one muzzled him.

Spyro started to jerk trying desperately to break free from their iron grip, but the roots held him tight there was no chance they will budge. The hermit screamed frantically once more while he pointed his glowing staff at him, seeing that Spyro was defenseless the cheetah charged. He was fast, extremely fast as for an old guy, it seems that craziness unlocks some buried deep down vigor.

" Oh no you don't" Cynder muttered angrily and began channeling her wind powers, a sensation similar to a refreshing breeze filled her body as she opened her mouth moments later and unleashed her Cyclone ability. She directed a powerful gust of wind at the feline, it was so strong that it blew the hermit from the ground and sent him flying towards a wall, maybe this impact will bring back his senses.

Some small rocks fell from the wall when the cheetah hit it, everything was silent but surprisingly the roots still held Spyro in place, the dragons exchanged puzzled looks between each other, the hermit wasn't getting up so they couldn't understand why the roots didn't retreat. It was then when Cynder thought about the staff, it was clearly their source of power and since the roots remained in the same position it must still emanate some magic. Just as she prepared to take a step Cynder heard the noise of stone grinding on stone. Soon the creator of this noise came into view.

It seems the impact must have stunned the hermit for a while, but unfortunately this small period didn't help the cheetah, in fact he looked angry, almost furious. The scream that filled the cave confirmed her suspicion, the feline didn't waste time, with both weapons pointing at the Purple Dragon he charged once again. This time however the glow on the staff's stone intensified, Cynder found why soon enough.

Muffled scream and groans caught her attention, she knew instantly who created that sound. Cynder's heart jumped when she set her eyes on Spyro, the roots started moving slowly tightening their embrace on the dragon's body. They will strangle him for sure crushing every possible bone and organ in the process. If somehow strangulation wouldn't kill him internal bleeding surely will and she won't allow any of those scenarios to happen.

Cynder channeled her elemental energy once again, this time focusing on her Shadow powers. A dark, sinister yet somehow addicting feeling coursed in her veins. Cynder pulled a shadow below her paws that seemed to pulse with its own life. While she concentrated the shadow began to devour her until she vanished completely. The fast hermit was really close to Spyro, he clenched his fist firmly around the dagger's hilt as he prepared to strike helping the roots in ending the dragon's life. The cheetah was so consumed with the vision that he failed to notice a shadow stopping on the nearby wall.

When Cynder popped out from it she instantly thrust her blade-like tip into the hermit's chest, he gasped but he still pushed forward sinking her tip deeper and deeper into his body. The cheetah kept moving until he finally felt that life was escaping him, with last ounces of strength he powered his staff, the green stone began to glow even brighter. A loud muffled scream was enough for Cynder to act, she forcefully slapped the staff with her wing, the blow was strong enough to release the green stone from its magical clutches. The moment it was sent flying it began to shine with a blinding green light eventually releasing a ray of the same color directly at the ceiling.

The sound of cracking wood caught her attention, she turned around just to see the roots retreating, the moment they left him Spyro fell on his belly coughing terribly. Cynder was near him in seconds as she began to look him over with a racing heart, she couldn't stop thinking about the roots and how badly they might have injured him.

"Are you alright?" Cynder asked with a glimmer of fear in her voice, after all she could kill that hermit sooner.

Spyro coughed " I'm...I'm fine even despite the fact I've been almost choked to death" he coughed once more " Did you ever heard the sound of your bones crushing? I did, and I must tell you that I won't forget it" he chuckled and coughed again

She smiled " I can imagine and hey, I might not know much about alchemy, but helping you is the only thing I'm actually good at"

"Thanks Cynder"

"Don't mention it, that's what-" a loud rumbling noise coming from above interrupted her, they both looked up just to see some small rocks falling down from the ceiling, and just in front of them a crack was forming on the wall that was getting bigger and bigger with each second. The whole cave began to vibrate and a huge boulder fell some distance away on the ground with an audible thud, Cynder realized instantly what's happening.

"We have to go, NOW!" she shouted with a demanding tone wrapping her tail around one of Spyro's front paws and tugged him. It must have been her strong pull, or the vision of being buried alive under the many stones, or both, that forced his mind to use its powers to fuel all of his limbs with additional energy instantly . Whatever the case may be, he got up quickly completely forgetting about the pain.

They only made a few steps and had to stop as a big rock hit the ground not far from them. Both dragons hid behind their wings, deflecting the pieces that broke off from the stone after the impact. When the chunks stopped flying the wings returned to their natural position. They swayed on their paws when an another strong shake ran through the cave accompanied by the sound of many splitting stones. Both dragons concentrated on the stone in front of them, they could simply avoid it but they had wasted enough time already. The rock crumbled, lucky for them not entirely, seeing this both dragons decided to try a different approach, after all every second counts.

Cynder took the lead and ran towards the rock, the moment she was close she jumped on it just to leap from its rough surface soon after. Unfortunately luck played a trick on her, instead of a solid ground ahead there were many small rocks packed closely together looking like small balls. When her paws touched the rocks Cynder slipped and was unable to maintain her balance sending some of the stones into the air while the others were thrown aside. Cynder hit the ground and being dragged by the stones she involuntary turned on her side just to start rolling sideways. She eventually stopped, ending on her back, Cynder gasped when her eyes looked at the ceiling, a stalactite was heading her way with its sharp end directed at her chest.

When luck fails friends step in, Spyro was right behind her and the moment he noticed the stalactite and Cynder laying on the ground his heart hit the chest that held it forcefully. Nevertheless Spyro kept a cool head, panic is the worst thing that can happen. He lowered his head so his horns would be the first obstacle every stone meets. Spyro leapt just in time, his horns made a direct contact with the stalactite smashing it to pieces. He landed with his paws at both sides of her body trapping Cynder between them, Spyro spread his wings forming a protective umbrella that covered her from the flying remnants of the stalactite, smiling he looked at the black snout below him. Cynder seeing his expression smiled gratefully, thanking him without using words for saving her life, when his eyes met hers Spyro could swear he saw them twinkle for a brief moment.

Cynder's mind returned to reality and her eyes went wide the moment he furled his wings, another stalactite broke off from the ceiling and was heading their way. She wrapped her paws around Spyro and jerked making him gasp faintly as they rolled over with her ending on top of him. They both looked to the side when the sound of a crashing stalactite reached them, it was turned to pieces on impact. Cynder looked at Spyro, he turned his head slowly and watched her with a shocked expression. She winked and got up while patting his belly softly with her tail to bring back his concentration and urge him to follow her.

They began to run once more, jumping sideways, circling some rocks, they did everything to avoid the stones and stalactites that kept falling down. A deafening sound echoed through the cave as something really solid and big crumbled, the dais was destroyed completely and the noise it created made them run even faster just like it tried to tell them that there was no more time to lose. A large gap formed itself on the ground, Cynder jumped over it just to land on the other side completely covered in smoke. She sped up even if she couldn't see anything, her eyes went wide when a huge boulder revealed itself from the smoke. Cynder placed her paws firmly on the ground, sparks were send flying in the air as her claws slid on the floor creating an annoying screeching sound, she kept sliding for a while trying to dispose all that speed she accumulated. The rock was getting closer and closer with each second, she closed her eyes reading herself for the inevitable, it will be a painful collision, but then to her surprise she stopped, Cynder opened her eyes just to see the rough surface of the rock right in front of her nose, she loudly sighed in relief.

A purple tail wrapped itself around her front paw and tugged her. The cave started to vibrate even more forcefully, they had troubles running in straight line as they both swayed from side to side. The rumbling sound got more intense when the ceiling started to cave-in behind them, rocks upon rocks were falling down onto the ground with a loud thud, crumbling into small bits and creating a dense, black smoke. They kept running avoiding everything that got into their way while escaping from the avalanche of rocks behind them that was getting closer. Some barely noticeable sun rays penetrated the smoke giving them a clear sign where they should be moving. With each step the light shone brighter but that was not the only thing each gait dragged closer, the rumbling sound behind them was getting louder. They kept running towards the light that burned their eyes, yet its blinding rays were somewhat appealing, it must have been thanks to the rocks that seemed to hit the ground just behind their tails. They ran towards the growing light until their vision was covered by complete blinding light, it was then when they decided to jump.

Both dragons landed on their bellies and began to cough, a loud rumbling sound forced them to look at the cave. The moment they set their eyes on it the entrance collapsed, now many rocks replaced the opening in the hill. Puffs of smoke shot out from the hole above the entrance blocking the light near the cave. They stared at the cave until they could no longer hear the rumbling sound and the smoke stopped slipping through the cracks, everything went silent.

" I hate hermits" Cynder muttered and coughed

"Why he didn't listen to me?" Spyro mused

" He was crazy, who knows what has gotten into his head"

" He wasn't crazy...well not entirely, he talked with me after all and he sounded quite normal "

Cynder shrugged " He put on a brave face I guess"

Spyro scratched his head " Yeah maybe you are right, but I still don't understand what made him to attack me"

" Nothing special really, it was only your blood" she added with her typical sarcastic tone

" I thought it was something more interesting" he might have said one thing just to play along, but when he looked at her his expression spoke volumes, he wanted to know what she saw

" After he examined your wound he licked one of his blood covered fingers"

Spyro's snout twisted in disgust" But why he did taste my blood in the first place? There is nothing special about it"

" Beats me, but I suppose you have to be a delicacy, not every day a purple dragon wanders into a cave of a barbaric hermit"

Spyro shuddered " Being eaten alive, that vision will keep me awake"

Cynder touched her teeth " Tell me about it" she muttered

He stood up and spread his wings "Come on Cynder let's find those trees"

" Lead on" she pulled herself up

They leapt into the air and with some flaps of their wings they turned around and started to fly southeast . Trees, rivers, ponds and mountains dotted the landscape, in the direction they were heading the numbers of trees were getting lower and lower, and it surprised them, how they are suppose to find a pair of trees when there will be none around here soon enough. The hermit pointed them in the wrong direction probably but they had nothing to lose anyway, they were lost already so what's the difference if they'll fly in the wrong direction? Nevertheless Spyro still kept going southeast, he believed that the hermit told them the truth, after all Meadow was their mutual friend, there was no reason to lie about the location of the village.

They soared for a while and were about to give up but then they flew over a hill and just right behind it was the thing they were looking for. Two enormous trees with no leaves but only twisted and cracked branches were leaning against each other, their bare crowns looked like they were glued together and that position left their hunks bent so badly that it was surprising they didn't break. The trees leaning like that looked like some sort of an arch yet it wasn't curved as a normal arch but nevertheless one could say the trees formed some sort of a gateway if you'd look closely. Nothing surrounded the trees expect some stones forming a circle around it, what really was unique about the stones was that they were of different colors, green, blue, red and many others surrounded the trees. Surprisingly their colors weren't sharp even despite the sunlight, they were shaded just like light never touched them in the first place. It would be quite a trek for anybody walking on foot, the trees weren't far from the cave but the hills, rivers and many other things would really be a pain for any traveler, it would take some days to reach them. Luckily they didn't have to worry about such things since they had their wings, a dragon's best friends when it comes to travel long distances.

"Now those are some really scary looking trees" Cynder stated while she landed next to them and looked them over.

The moment Spyro touched the ground his head had been moving up and down their hunks "Yeah I wonder how they managed to bend like that"

" Don't ask me I have no idea"

"How a tree can reach such a curve? Magic must hold them in place somehow I guess. Cool"

" I don't know, those trees are strange I mean look..." Cynder scanned the surroundings "... they seem kinda out of place"

Spyro looked around, she was right, green ground surrounded them with some broad-leaved trees every now and then, and here was a pair of twisted and barren trees peacefully rooted in the earth " Hey you are right, but maybe someone made them like that on purpose. An unique spot to help any lost traveler to find his right direction"

"Or maybe the hermit lead us into a trap, by stepping into this circle we made ourselves vulnerable and soon his friends will show themselves and eat us" A small smile formed itself on Cynder's snout

Spyro frowned " That's not funny"

" I know"

" Besides I don't feel any magic radiating from them" he touched one of the hunks, his paw itched slightly, Spyro scratched his foreleg and kicked away one of the shaded rocks "Yup, nothing"

He looked at the hunk again and cocked his head " Wait a minute" Spyro rose on his hind paws and tore off one of the twisted branches " Doesn't it look like the staff the hermit carried?"

She looked at the branch "It does, no wonder he remembered how to reach this place"

Spyro looked on the ground " And these stones look like the one that was attached to his staff, I wonder what else he could make from them, if should have asked him about something else when I had the chance"

Cynder's head jerked back slightly just as if something occurred to her " Yeah you really asked him some strange questions, what was that all about?"

Spyro smiled " Alchemy? There was a dragonfly in my village who called himself an alchemist, he could make a potion which changed the color of your scales for a while. I was always curious if alchemists can really make things like that using mostly some...well junk"

Cynder shook her head " No, not alchemy, you asked the hermit about a village that was supposed to be past the forest. "

"Oh that" he scratched his head " I felt that tingle again and I followed it into the forest while you were sleeping, I found a map there"

She jerked in surprise " What sort of a map?"

"Map is a wrong word, it looked like a hastily drawn plan with the location of some villages"

" Where is it? Can I see it?"

Spyro shook his head "You can't, it was destroyed when the apes attacked me"

Cynder reared her head" Apes? So close to the cave? When you were planning to tell me about them?"

He shifted from paw to paw nervously " Honestly? Never"

"WHAT?!" she exclaimed angrily

"Listen! After the fight they were all gone!" he shouted

"Of course they were you killed them after all!" Cynder's voice still full of anger

He shook his head "No, not like that, they vanished, every body, every drop of blood, even the living ones disappeared just like they weren't there in the first place!" he exclaimed

Her anger was gone instantly "Ohh"

"Yeah, ohh! When I hit that tree and nothing came after me I didn't know what to make out of it"

"Nevertheless you should have told me about it"

Spyro furrowed a brow " And what should I tell you? That I was fighting with invisible enemies that I probably created in my head? Or maybe about my new wounds that I probably did myself while _fighting_?"

Cynder nodded "Yep, that would be a start"

He jerked his head slightly, sigted and smiled kindly soon after "Thanks Cynder but I just didn't want to worry you, you have been through enough"

"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly "Don't worry about me, I can handle it"

Spyro chuckled " Ok then, I didn't want you to know that you are traveling with a crazy dragon"

She giggled " And what would that change? I'm already nuts, but at least I now know that we are on the same boat"

He smiled and shook his head " If we go down we go down together, right?"

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed merrily " I'm happy that we are going crazy together, I know how that sounds but at least we know that when we will start drooling and mumble under our noses it can't get any worse than that. Besides I'm pleased that I will have someone to talk to since nobody else will understand me"

Spyro laughed " There is always a silver lining"

Cynder giggled "Exactly, but I rather like that moment to come later than sooner so how about we leave those creepy trees behind and find some civilization?" she spread her wings

In agreement Spyro leapt into the air with Cynder following him, a river was their destination now, so following the hermit's advice they flew east, searching for it. It didn't take them long to find a single, crystal clear and quite broad river flowing down. They've made their way alongside its riverbank until they saw a single black smoke rising above one of the tree tops, a smoke that was coming out from a chimney.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Thick wooden wall surrounded the village, a massive wooden gate with more darker wood covering its middle and with two feathers carved on it was tightly shut, sending a clear signal that the village wasn't expecting guests. A couple of cheetahs were lazily walking back and forth on the wall bored to death, while some others kept vigil in their tall watchtowers just beside the front game . This village had simple defenses and would fall easily when some well trained army decided to attack it, but still there was quite a handful of guards here on the watch as for such simple village. Safety comes first even in times of peace it seems.

Both dragons landed quite a distance away from the gate hiding behind some trees, they wanted to take it slow, giving the guards some time to react, showing them that they come with good intentions. Both dragons decided to approach the village politely by stepping out in the open so they could be easily spotted. They could just land in the middle of the settlement but the cheetahs might take that as an insult, even if it seemed normal for airborne creatures like themselves, the felines might think that they barged in. That was the last thing they wanted, after all their last visit here was far from pleasant.

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see us" Cynder's sarcastic tone of voice resounded in the air the moment their snouts left their hiding place

"It can't be that bad" Spyro assured her with a small smile.

The guards stopped in their tracks when they spotted two draconic figures heading their way, some felines disappeared from their guard posts and some distant shouts could be heard. They've made their way towards the sturdy looking gate, surprisingly it didn't open. The guards seemed nervous, they have been staring at them intently clenching tightly the weapons in their hands. Most of them at least acted like that, some looked at them with indifferent eyes while some others had indictment plastered on their faces.

The cheetahs living in the Valley tried to remain neutral in the war against Malefor after he broke out from his prison in the Night of Eternal Darkness, it was Spyro who released him in the first place, much to his surprise and displeasure, a dragon who set free the plague he was meant to stop, they didn't care that he was tricked, lured into the Well of Souls by the Ape King Gaul. They have captured Cynder and for Spyro that was the only thing that mattered at that time and The Dark Master knew that. The cheetahs shared much blood for the Realms back when Malefor roamed free all those years ago, and took another share of death when corrupted Cynder soared the skies. it didn't matter for them that it was an unintentional turn of events, a dragon made a mess by releasing The Dark Master a dragon has to clean it up. Nevertheless the cheetahs eventually joined forces with the dragons when Warfang was under siege and helped them later to stop The Destroyer in its path. The cheetahs warriors followed orders even if reluctantly, their leaders eventually managed to see reason even if for the last time. There were of course warriors that didn't share the same views as the other soldiers, they helped the dragons with much pleasure, realizing what's at stake and letting bygones be bygones, but that was only a tiny portion of the army, most of them distrusted their draconic allies with some of their leaders included. If it's fair that was not for the two young dragons to decide, it is what it is and only time will tell if it will have any consequences in the future.

What mattered right here and now was the creaking sound of the massive wooden doors opening in front of the two dragons. A cheetah accompanied from two sides by bodyguards was heading their way, the feline was their leader with who both dragons have already met and it wasn't a friendly acquaintance.

Chief Prowlus was the one in the middle, it was his village in which both dragons found themselves after they have been captured by the cheetahs, not the best way for a first meeting to say the least. He was a strong, strict and fair leader but also leery of practically anything outside the village, he was especially distrustful of Dragons. The Chief sauntered towards both dragons, orange fur with black ringlets covered the top of his head, arms, legs, back and tail mixed with a bit of black on the top of his ears, around his yellow eyes and on the top of the feline's tail, while his chest, hands and paws were completely covered with white fur. He was wearing a leather armor with a amaranthine cape with a falcon feather sewn into it, the cape was pinned to the armor with a gold round symbol with a spear in it, the same symbol but bigger was on the back of his coat. He wore a thick leather belt around his waist with a large emblem in its middle, it looked like the one on his coat. A leather sheath was strapped to one side of the belt, a hilt of the sword was the only thing that protruded from it. Two brown leather bracers with many rivets covered his forearms.

"You two? What are you doing here in my village?" Prowlus asked with his usual strict and angry voice

"We have been traveling for a while and we just wanted to-" Spyro tried to start a conversation but was interrupted by the Chiefs firm tone

" You are in no position to ask for anything, didn't I make myself clear previously that Dragons aren't welcome here?"

"Oh you mean the moment when your men knocked us out and chained to a well? Yeah, that was a very polite way to make your point, we just came here to show you how a proper talk between allies should look like" At the sound of Cynder voice the two bodyguards snorted quietly and the Chiefs eyes flared up for a brief moment

"Cynder" Spyro hissed her name through clenched teeth

" Keep that poisonous tongue of yours in your mouth because the people here still remember you Shadow and if you keep this attitude even despite your so called good deeds we make sure that this time you won't forget us" The Chief patted the hilt of his sword , sending a clear signal that he is not joking

" You have to forgive her, she doesn't have really good social skills" Spyro smiled apologetically

Cynder didn't pay any attention to his words, she was entirely focused on the three cheetahs ahead " We came here with good intentions but if you put it this way I will have to..."

" WE WILL HAVE TO!..." Spyro shouted at Cynder gaining her attention instantly, the moment her eyes met his he gave her a meaningful look and turned his head towards the cheetahs "We will have to ask you If you would be so kind to let us use the Forbidden Tunnel to Warfang one more time?"

" As I said Dragon, you are in no position to ask for anything" the Chief stated firmly

"But-"

"But what?!" Prowlus yelled irritated interrupting Spyro " Just because some call you a hero you expect everyone to bend their knee and fulfill your every request?"

" No, I ask for your help as an ally"

" An ally?" The Chief chuckled " We are no allies Dragon"

"What?" Spyro mumbled

" What did you expect? You thought that every cheetah will follow you whenever you desire? Think again"

" What the hell is wrong with you?!" Cynder burst out angrily " Did you already forget that we fought together? Did you forget the siege of Warfang? Did you forget who tried to stop The Destroyer? Did you forget who fought with The Dark Army? WE DID! Cheetahs and Dragons were on those battlefields fighting alongside each other, dying like a single specie and you still don't consider us as allies? What bond is more important than that of blood?

Prowlus looked at her with burning eyes " You are the last one who should be lecturing me, we followed you into battle only because you helped us previously, a favor for a favor. That is called honor something I don't expect you to understand"

Some small green flames shot out from Cynder's nose " I can't believe what I'm hearing, how is it possible that this mean nothing to you?! You ignorant mother-"

" WE UNDERSTAND!" Spyro yelled at the top of his lungs gaining everyone's attention, he sighed and calmed himself before continuing " Bottom line Chief, you won't help us am I right?

Prowlus scratched his nose "Well you thought we were allies so I'll give you a little advice before you leave" he pointed at Spyro's wings with one of his claws "Use them, you will reach your destination eventually."

Spyro frowned " Thank you for your cooperation, we will be leaving now" both dragons turned around ready to continue on their way

" And where do you think you are going?" before they could make a step a familiar friendly voice came from behind them, when they turned around they recognized its owner immediately.

Meadow approached the group, when Spyro and Cynder found themselves in this village chained to a well for the first time there was no sign of Meadow, he was missing. Prowlus didn't start an immediate search for him, since the missing cheetah liked to take his time collecting herbs outside the village. When he wasn't returning for quite a while both dragons volunteered to go and find him trying to convince the Chief of their good intentions. Injured Meadow was rescued from an ambush of Grublins in a cave behind the nearby waterfall.

That was the past, now he was slowly heading towards them with a strict expression on his face. He was wearing a simple green shirt and a yellow robe with brown stripes on its sides and a falcon feather sewn into it. He has a similar colored fur like Prowlus but a bit darker. Even despite the fact that Meadow was just a simple warrior he had the respect of the cheetahs, many considered him as Prowlus' right hand or a very close friend because even the Chief himself valued his opinion.

"Why didn't you invite them in Prowlus? It's not kind to welcome our heroes and saviors in this way" Meadow placed his hand on the Chief's shoulder

The feline leader snorted " Heroes? I don't see any heroes here besides those that are already in the village"

He released his shoulder " Of course everyone deserves our respect, their sacrifice wasn't in vain but we can't forget who delivered the final blow"

The Chiefs eyes flared up once more " How can you be so blind? They are no heroes, what I see here is a traitor" he pointed at Cynder" she change sides just like we change our clothes, a loyal servant of The Dark Master who enjoyed to follow his every whim, a servant who stabbed him in the back when she realized that there was no chance he could win. Now she travels with this one, she is always around him , ready to follow his orders, even protect him if necessary, acting like a caring friend. But her natural personality follows him just like a shadow, ready to strike when he will be no longer useful..."

Spyro saw as Cynder lowered her head, she blamed herself for everything she had done even if she was corrupted back then and couldn't control herself. The Chiefs words must have rekindled that guilt which filled her heart, Spyro stared at her with concerned eyes " Don't listen to him Cynder, it wasn't your fault"

"...and he " Prowlus pointed at Spyro " A dragon who caused all of this, a dragon who was supposed to bring peace to the Realms, instead of that he gave us Malefor and it doesn't matter that he defeated him, damage was already done. He is no savior, he isn't a protector, he is a harbinger of destruction, wherever he goes Death follows in his wake and this time will be no different, mark my words. He will make a mistake one day and we cheetahs will pay for it with our blood once again."

Meadow stared at him with a cold gaze for a while " I think that you have more pressing matters Chief than to worry about those two, I assure you they won't be a problem" he said with a firm voice, the words leaving his mouth slowly so that Prowlus could understand their resonance

Both warriors kept staring at each other until Prowlus shot both dragons a quick distrustful glance, with an audible snort he looked at Meadow once more and made his way towards the gate accompanied by his bodyguards. Meadow's eyes followed the Chief until he could no longer see him before finally concentrating on the two dragons.

Meadow smiled kindly and apologetically at the same time "I'm sorry, I just hope he didn't cause too much trouble"

" Don't worry we kinda expected that" Cynder spoke with a comforting smile on her snout

Meadow shook his head " He is a very strict and just leader, he values every life that is placed under his command, whenever a soldier dies it leaves a mark on him, that's why the soldiers treat him with such respect because they know that he always has their backs" the warrior sighed " Unfortunately he is also a fool, he lets the past to control him, he fails to see that things have changed, that there are dragons out there that can be trusted. Luckily he has me to remind him constantly of that" a smug smile formed itself on his face

"Thank you Meadow" Spyro bowed his head gratefully "We came here seeking your help, we need to get to Warfang and we thought that you could allow us to use the Forbidden Tunnel"

"Ahh the Tunnel yes, but how about you come in and enjoy this fine afternoon with us? I'm sure you have quite a story to tell, we can talk about business later"

"I thought you never ask" Spyro smiled cheerfully

Meadow chuckled " Ha! It's always important to be in good spirits even despite unhappy circumstances" He stepped aside and extended his arm towards the gate " Please, come in"

The village itself was nothing special at first glance, there were plenty more guards walking on the wooden wall that they couldn't see from where they previously stood. A familiar well was placed in the middle of the settlement, with some female cheetahs and a couple of children running with buckets, every now and then splashing some water on themselves that triggered a loud merry laughter. Houses dotted the village, there were plenty of them ,some were smaller others a little larger but surprisingly most of the houses had their windows tightly shut, only a couple of them allowed the sunlight to illuminate their interior giving a good sight for every inquisitive neighbor who wanted to know what the family next door was doing.

Dirt roads run through the village, the main broad pathway split into many smaller ones, some of them lead to the houses, some of them to the gates, and even other to the workshops. As both dragons walked down the main road they could see that many of those workshops were closed, only a single fletcher was working. Well working was an overstatement, the cheetah was lazily picking a piece of wood, he then started to carve it with some sort of a knife, seconds later he puffed on it sending some shavings into the air. Whatever he was making didn't resemble a bow at all, it took him only a moment to finish his work of art, the moment he placed it on the ground they could see that he carved two circles that were most likely eyes, a nose and a broad smile on the piece of wood. With a grin he looked at it and leaned it against a wall directing its happy expression towards the road before picking another piece of wood, smaller this time.

Near the well was a building with an amaranthine canvas with a big gold round spear symbol hanging down from its roof, that dangled just above the entrance so every pedestrian could see it. Two burly looking cheetahs stood at both sides of the door, completely motionless with their long spears leaned against their shoulders. All of the building's windows were barred with sturdy iron bars, preventing any unwanted visitor from barging in. This was either the Chiefs house or a building where many decisions regarding the village were made or are going to be made. Whatever the case may be the building is an important structure for the village.

Some distance away from them was a huge building that seemed to be anchored to the wooden wall. Black smoke was slowly escaping through the chimney. Windows dotted the walls, there were plenty of them almost one just beside the other allowing as much light as possible so the sun could illuminate its vast interior. For such a big building there was only a handful of cheetahs walking inside, the felines were slowly cleaning the building. They were very accurate, not allowing even the smallest spot to be left alone, it looked like they were preparing the room for something important.

The village was very quiet ,the silence was occasionally broken by a happy laughter, but even the loudest laugh was consumed by the quietness of this place in seconds, allowing silence take the lead once more. That was not how both dragons remembered the village, back then when they were captured and brought here the village was bursting with chatter and all kind of activity. Cheetahs kept running in every direction, they had always something to do, wherever they looked there was always a cheetah going on about his business. Now as they walked there was practically no living soul on their way, there was no sound, only complete silence, there was no activity, only complete stillness. The once loud and thriving village was now only a shadow of its former self, it was lifeless and looked like it was deserted.

"It's been a while since I last saw you, tell me, how life's been treating you Spyro?" Meadow looked at the purple dragon while they kept moseying down the road

" It really put my strength to the test, both mental and physical, the death and destruction I had seen really left a mark on me, I won't forget the past few months for my entire life I suppose" Spyro replied wincing as the fresh memories ran through his mind

"War" the cheetah huffed thoughtfully " It pushes us to our limits, and unfortunately not everyone is able to keep up with its fast pace"

" Good thing that Malefor was not a very talented runner" Cynder joined the discussion with her typical sarcastic and witty behavior

"Ah Cynder" Meadow smiled " It's always good to have a personality like yours around, pushing down all these bad feelings while replacing them with some good news served with a dose of sarcasm to help a burdened heart forget about its problems even for a brief moment. A very useful skill indeed"

"Whoa" she exclaimed " I had no idea I have a skill like that, are you sure you are not taking me for someone else?"

Meadow's smile grew even wider " My point exactly" he coughed " But humor aside, was it difficult to see your former Master when you no longer felt his touch shrouding your mind?"

Cynder gasped faintly as an image of that unavoidable meeting flashed before her eyes " To be entirely honest I was terrified"

"Why?"

She furrowed a brow "Why?, It was Malefor, the leader of The Dark Army, the dragon that controlled..." she turned her head to a side "... I mean he was the most dangerous opponent that used his serva... I mean m... because he was a powerful dragon"

The cheetah watched her intently " A battle with a dangerous foe always fills every warrior heart with fear, but to be terrified? I mean you have to understand my surprise, you have experienced your share of battle and yet you were there almost paralyzed with fear. He was undoubtedly a better warrior than your previous opponents but to be terrified about someone's fighting skills when you are a talented warrior is new to me"

" His fighting skills weren't the reason" she stopped walking and stared at the ground " As you said he was my Master, a Master that I hated and despised, but..." Cynder sighed "...but there was a part of me that adored him, a part that couldn't wait to be reunited with him once more. I was afraid that this whole time I've been fooling myself that I've been free of his influence but in truth it was still in me. Or it had nothing to do with influence, I wondered if that was just me, maybe when Spyro defeated me all those years ago he brought me in some sort of amnesia blocking that dark side of mine that was awakening in Malefor's lair."

" In the end it turned out that you were in fact corrupted and nothing that happened when you were soaring the skies as a Malefor's general was your fault"

Cynder stared at ground in silence for a while " Yeah" she muttered " tell that to all the people I've slaughtered"

Meadow narrowed his pupils " Why I hear guilt in your voice?"

"Because It was all my fault!" she exclaimed and looked at the cheetah with teary eyes " I killed every single one of them and I didn't want to stop it because I liked it, I loved the sight of their eyes while I took their life"

" It seems that dark magic intensifies the vile feelings in us, but now you know that, and you still feel responsible?"

She looked directly into his eyes " I do"

"No!" Spyro shouted "You are not responsible for anything! That wasn't you, that was Malefor!" he looked at the cheetah with anger in his eyes " What's the point of this Meadow? She has nothing to do with it!"

The warrior raised his hands" Of course, but Spyro listen to me-"

"No!" his eyes flared up "You will listen to me! Malefor wasn't her Master, a master allows his servants to have some free will and she had none. She was a slave who was never given the chance to chose whether she wants to follow him or not, hell she didn't even know what good means since Malefor forced her to commit all those evil things from the very beginning!"

The cheetah opened his mouth but Spyro cut him off" You will stop your subtle accusations, she can't be held accountable for things that she couldn't control!" he looked at her and the anger vanished instantly. Concern, pity taking its place with a slight commanding tone in his voice " And you will stop blaming yourself for everything that has happened, I can only imagine how you feel Cynder but trust me on this one, it wasn't your fault"

She stared at him with grateful and watery eyes, Spyro was the only one who understood her, he was the only one who never mentioned her dark past while talking with her, just like it never existed. He was the only one who did everything he could to lift her from her despair, he was the only one who cared. She couldn't wish for a better friend. Meadow observed them in complete silence, his eyes jumping between both dragons and he just couldn't stop feeling content. The silence lingered here for far too long, it was time to break it.

" Forgive me Cynder" the cheetah bowed his head apologetically

She blinked several times before looking at him " No harm done"

" Let's just forget about it, ok?" Spyro asked determined to end this unpleasant moment

All of them exchanged looks and nodded in agreement before they continued their walk down the road. As Meadow observed the two dragon tails swaying in front of him in a rhythmic motion with their bodies the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

" So Cynder, how it feels to be a hero?" The cheetah started another conversation while they moseyed down the path

She scoffed "A hero? Me? I'm no hero Meadow, I didn't do anything special, I've just fought and everybody could do that, but I suppose nobody was stupid enough to go on a suicide mission" Cynder looked at the azure sky above her and sighed " But I'm glad that it paid off and it feels great just to think that it's finally over"

" I understand, there is nothing that could beat the feeling of a victory when everything seemed was lost"

Cynder looked at the wagging purple tail in front of her and huffed " Oh, I can think of a thing or two"

He followed her gaze and just when he looked at the purple dragon ahead of him he noticed some cuts on his back that were slowly healing themselves " It looks like you had quite a difficult journey here"

Spyro jerked back slightly when he heard those words, he knew instantly what Meadow meant by that and since those were Cynder's claws marks he would rather not remind her of that, yet impulsively he touched his back with his wing and winced when a stinging pain ran through his body" Your right, we had some adventures before getting here after the battle, well not to mention the fight with Malefor it was pretty-"

" Oh no, no, no" Meadow interrupted him quickly " Spyro don't say anything about the fight with Malefor because I'm not the only one who likes to hear it"

He turned his head and gave the cheetah a puzzled glance " As you wish, anyway after the battle we resurfaced here in the Valley, we played for a while just to end on a tall slope with all those trees and bushes. Then a rain came just out of nowhere and it was pretty intense so we decided to find some shelter and since the weather brought with it a powerful wind and complete darkness, it was impossible to fly so we had to walk and trust me it was no simple thing"

" It looks like your life has to be filled with some kind of adventure all the time Spyro"

" Yeah it never gets boring around him, he is jinxed I tell you" Cynder added with a quizzical smile

"I've never heard you complaining" Spyro remarked her

"Loudly you mean" she snickered" Somebody has to keep an eye on you otherwise you will end up drowning in a puddle of water"

He looked at her just to see her wink, Spyro smiled and shook his head " Anyway we kept walking until we reached a very steep terrain from which we both slid, eventually Cynder reached a ramp that threw her off the cliff while I crashed with that huge ancient tree. Luckily-"

Meadow clapped his hands startling both dragons " A huge tree! Was it arched from an edge of that hill? Did it had thick, long roots and an extremely big crown?"

" That's the one, why?"

The cheetah laughed merrily " We for sure now know that you are not jinxed, look" Meadow turned around and pointed at something. They followed his hint and squinted to , there was a barely noticeable form of a tree ahead that was arched from an end of a tall slope. A tree they both were very familiar with.

" That was no coincidence that you found yourself there. Every cheetah village is built with one thing in mind- to be able to spot the tree from the settlement. Because you see, the tree is important for us cheetahs. It's a symbol of protection, hope and good fortune, we call it..." Meadow clapped his hands once more " I have a better idea! We trade stories, you will tell us about your fight with Malefor and I will tell you all about that tree when we get there"

Spyro cocked his head " Get where? You never said where we are going"

Meadow chuckled " Patience Spyro, patience we are almost there"

Spyro shrugged " Ok then" he looked around the village and every time his head moved his natural curiosity was getting the upper hand " There is one thing that bothers me though, where are all the people? This place looks deserted"

" That's because almost all of our warriors, crafters and many other cheetahs are staying in Warfang helping in rebuilding the city"

" Really? I'm surprised that the Chief agreed to that"

Meadow sneered and scratched his nose " In fact he didn't"

Spyro jerked back in surprise "How so?" he smirked " You tricked him, didn't you?"

" I would never do such a thing" they stared at each other for a while and chuckled simultaneously moments later " We are allies whether he likes it or not so when he was not looking I told our warriors to stay in Warfang and help the dragons since we owe you that much." Meadow's smile grew wider " When Prowlus found out about it we had a little talk but I won't quote what he said because I have some good manners, let's just say he didn't agree with me"

Spyro couldn't stop smiling, it wasn't nice but he was actually happy that someone cut The Chief down to size. With a shake of his head he threw away all that glee and focused anew" How is Warfang doing?"

"I don't know, I had no news from the city for a while"

Spyro looked around the walls, seeing many cheetahs walking back and forth on them " There is quite a big number of guards here"

Meadow sighed resigned "Prowlus' idea, his distrustful nature made him place every free warrior on the wall"

"Have you been attacked lately?"

" We didn't, that's the whole point, I'm sure we would hear from Warfang if the Dark Army decided to advance"

"Better safe than sorry they say" Spyro quipped

"Ha! I agree, but we should have some common sense, we are-"

"Cynder" the sound of someone calling her name rang in her skull blocking every sound. She stopped just to see Meadow and Spyro walking down the road like they never heard anything. From what she could say they were still talking but she couldn't make out any words, it's not like she cared anyway, the sound of her name coming from one of the side roads was far more interesting.

With the last glance ahead she decided to leave them to their conversation, she'll catch up with them later. Determined, Cynder scuttled down one of the side roads, the sound of her name still pounding in her head. Rows of buildings stood at both sides of the road, most of them closed, she kept walking through some sort of a living district if you can say that a village has one in the first place. One thing was sure though, the cheetahs here kept together, the houses were close to one another and neighbors just could peer through a window just standing safely in his own four walls. The houses were so close that one could say that the cheetahs lived here like a one big family, everyone knowing everything about everyone yet not spreading any false rumors around, respecting each other's privacy and private life.

"Why always me?!" a high indignant female voice reached Cynder, it bounced from wall to wall down the road leaving a barely hearable echo behind it. The sound instantly got her attention, she started to walk towards it without even a moment to think about it. She turned and walked down another side road that ran between the houses just to round a corner and find herself on another path, even when there was no sound reaching her now Cynder had a hunch that she is going in the right direction, her instinct the only guide she ever needed.

" Those are the rules!" another noise reached her, this time however it was a high male voice that seemed to admonish the female one. Cynder sped up, the sound only confirmed that her instinct was right once again and from the looks of it she wasn't very far from the source of this noise. She rounded a corner, and dashed down a path just to turn on an another corner, it was then when she finally found the source of this noise.

Cynder stopped next to a building with her eyes fixed on the image ahead. She found a small green patch of land between the houses, what really interested her was the sight of a small group standing on it. There were three children talking with each other, one of them was a petite female dragon hatchling. She had very bright azure scales, two tiny fawn horns protruding from her temples forming a lateral spiral, two small azure wings with fawn membranes, a tail with tiny aquamarine spines on its end and a tip of the same color that looked like the triangular tip of a sword.

Two cheetah cubs accompanied her, their fur was mostly still white since in this age it lacked the typical sharp orange color. One of them wore a green shirt, light brown pants and shoes of the same color, while the other had a dark grey with specks of brown shirt, green pants and brown shoes. Their garment was pretty common but those were kids they couldn't care less what they were wearing. The cheetahs differed in some other ways also, the cub with the green shirt had a quite big black spot in the middle of his forehead, there were many others spots around but none of them was so conspicuous as that single one. The other cub however had an extremely black fur around his eyes that looked like a pair of ink stains against the white background of his fur.

Many branches were scattered all around them, some were bigger than the others but all of them were quite thick without any sharp edges. Three cloaks laid on the grass, a yellow and a purple one were quite small yet they would fit perfectly on kids just like those two cheetah cubs here. The third cloak however was completely black and a bit larger than the previous two. Some leather bracelets littered the ground, not far from she could see two small leather helmets with some holes in them. The children were prepared for whatever they were doing pretty nicely.

"That's not fair!" the blue petite dragoness exclaimed irritated

" It is!" shouted the cub in green shirt

She snorted " Nu-uh! You cheat!"

The cheetah with mottled grey shirt burst out laughing "Hahahaha! You are stupid Az! Stupid, stupid, stupid! We don't cheat!"

" You are stupid! You cheat because you would loose hahahaha!"

The cheetah with the big spot on his forehead pointed his finger at her " Az is going to cry, Az is going to cry!" the cub kept repeating mockingly the same words

" Shut up Dot!" the dragoness shouted even more loudly " You should be dead , I killed you with my poison breath!"

" No, you didn't, Sparx healed me!"

"He can't do that!"

"Yes I can!" the second cub yelled "That was one of my secret powers!"

The azure dragoness burst out laughing" Since when you have secret powers Black eye?"

"I had them in this fight!"

" Then you should be dead because I used my super shadow breath!"

The cub named Dot frowned " You can't use your super powers cheater!"

The dragoness hissed angrily "Why?"

"Because you get super powers after four wins, those are the rules!"

"You never told me about that rule before!"

Black eye laughed" You are stupid Az, we told you about them but you never listen"

"Those rules are stupid! I don't want them anymore!"

"Az is going to cry! Az is going to cry!" Dot mocked the dragoness once more

The petite hatchling roared" Dot, shut up! You wouldn't defeat me without your super powers!"

Both cubs laughed hysterically "Yeah right"

Cynder observed the arguing children with a broad smile, three friends shouting at each other practically for no reason, yet for them it was a matter of honor. She wished she had their problems, everything would be simple then, even if they looked angry they seemed happy and innocent, enjoying each other's company and the time they spent on playing, after all that was all that mattered during childhood.

_Childhood _this word rang in her head and Cynder's smiled vanished completely when realization struck her that she was stripped of her childhood. She didn't knew what argument means since from the very beginning she was taught that the decision of her Master is unquestionable, she didn't knew what playing means since she never touched a toy in her hatchling years. She didn't knew what friend means since she never had any, she didn't knew what innocence means since she killed from the moment when her eyes opened. Cynder felt as a void filled her guts, she felt empty just like something was stolen from her that should never been moved in the first place, something that can't be returned. Only emptiness remained in that place, an emptiness that can never be filled even if she really wanted to.

"Fine!" the hatchling exclaimed indignantly "I've lost, but this time I want to be someone else and I will have super powers too hahaha!"

The cub with the big spot on his forehead frowned "You can't be someone else! Those are the rules!"

"No! Those rules suck, I don't want to be Cynder! the dragoness stomped her paw on the ground in protest

Cynder cocked her head at the sound of her name, she was completely surprised that she was a topic in a kids argument but nevertheless curiosity roused in her. Even if the children were only playing she still wanted to know what role she had in their little game, yet she didn't want to intrude . There was a battle going on inside Cynder's head between her carefulness and eagerness,and it was a fierce one. Sometimes her caution got the upper hand and she decided to leave the children alone, maybe she doesn't want to know anything about it in the first place.

She took a few steps back slowly hiding behind the wall of a house, it was then when her curiosity counter-attacked making her stop. Cynder scratched the ground nervously with her paw as her emotions battled in her head in a last final confrontation. "Screw it" Cynder muttered and felt as her curiosity struck a decisive blow making its enemy vanish completely, she retraced her steps and just when she was about to round the corner she craned her neck just to make sure the children were still there, they were. Driven by her eagerness she rounded the corner and made few steps closer towards the kids so she could hear everything.

" You have no choice Stupid!" the cub with mottled grey shirt shouted irritably

" I don't want to be Cynder!" the dragoness shouted back at the top of her small lungs

" Then who do you want to be?"

" I want to be Spyro!"

Both cheetah cubs burst out laughing making the dragoness turn red from anger " You can't be Spyro!" yelled Dot when he managed to catch some breath

"Why?!"

" Because I'm Spyro! The rules say that only the winner can change Spyro for someone else if he wants to"

The hatchling hissed angrily "Ok so I will be Sparx!"

Black eye laughed again " You can't be Sparx because the rules say that when you save someone you can't leave this character"

No! I don't want to be evil Cynder again!"

" Those are the rules Az!"

She roared " Those rules are stupid!. I know! I'm going to change them!" the dragoness exclaimed happily

"You can't change the rules of the game!" Dot admonished her

"Why not?!"

"Because..." the cubs looked at each other in confusion, they gawked at their faces before turning towards the dragoness "...because they are the rules of the game and they are unchen.. unachen.. they can't be changed! You must be the ugly Cynder!"

"No! I don't want to be her" the hatchling stomped her paw on the ground once again

"Az you want to play with us or not?" Black eye said, clearly tired of this argument

There was a moment of silence as the dragoness was fighting with her thoughts "Fine!" she finally exclaimed " I'll play this stupid game, I'll follow this stupid rules and I will be this stupid Cynder! Just don't cheat!"

Those were the words all of them were waiting for even if not everything was as one of them thought will be. The cubs threw the cloaks on them pinning the capes to their shirts, the petite dragoness uncomfortably threw the black cloak onto her and tied it under her neck so it won't fall down. Black eye wore the yellow cloak while Dot had a purple one, he also wore a leather helmet with two branches protruding from it. Az put the seconds leather helmet on her head and wrapped two leather bracelets on her two front paws. Afterwards she stuck a branch into one of the helmet holes, it was a perfect fit. She kept putting branches into it until there was five of them protruding from her helmet. With everything on its right place she looked meaningfully at the cubs.

Black eye frowned " How many times I told you that Cynder had four horns"

"She had five!" the dragoness exclaimed

"Nu-uh!"

"She had five that way she looked more ugly and scary"

" I tell you she had four!"

" Nu-uh!"

" Uh huh, four!"

"Nu-uh, five!"

They kept arguing until they heard the sound of a female voice" Actually..." Cynder made her way towards the hatchling"... she had six" with that she picked one of the branches and stuck it into the helmet

The azure dragoness ran her claw across her six wooden horns and grinned "I've told you she had six!"

"Liar!" Black eye exclaimed " You said she had five!"

"And you said she had four! I was closer to the truth, who is stupid now?!"

"Whatever, they don't do anything anyway"

Az laughed wryly "Do nothing?! With my new horn I'm even more scary than before, now I don't need any super powers to win!"

" I don't know, you still look the same to me" Dot stated unconvincingly

"Yeah right, if a real Cynder was here you would run away, crying"

The cub frowned " I wouldn't run away!"

The dragoness smirked " You would"

"Yeah? And what about you? You would run away I'm sure of it!"

Az snorted " Me? Never. I know how fear power works and with this new horn I will never lose!" she looked at Cynder grinning proudly" Thank you"

She giggled" No need to thank me I'm just happy to-"

"CYNDER!" the sound of a familiar male voice calling her name caught her attention

"I'm coming!" she yelled loudly before returning to look at the kids again. All of them stared at her with huge eyes and their mouths dropped open. Cynder smiled at them kindly and prepared to ask them a question, however the moment she opened her mouth and exhaled some air the kids screamed at the top of their lungs and scattered in every direction squeaking as they did so. Cynder surprised eyes followed one of the cheetah cubs, she saw as he ran as fast as he could until he reached a female leg, Hiding behind it he started tugging the skirt mumbling something quickly and gesticulating towards her, when Cynder's eyes met with the female cheetah the feline gave her a scornful look, the look of an insulted mother. When she saw that look Cynder's eyes went wide as she suddenly felt guilty, bending on her paws and with her tail between her legs she turned around quickly and dashed towards the male shout just like a child who did something wrong and wanted to ran away just to avoid punishment.

"Where have you been?" Spyro asked with a palpable surprise in his voice when she emerged from a side road

"What?" Cynder blurt out ironically " A girl can't have some privacy?"

He smiled shyly " I was worried, with everything that was happening lately I thought...you know"

" I'm fine, but I appreciate the concern" she smiled charmingly

They stared at each other before continuing their walk. They found themselves in the centre of the village, a familiar well only confirmed their assumptions. Both dragons kept walking ahead until they noticed Meadow standing near the door to a big building with many windows and a black smoke rising from the chimney, he waved for them to come closer. When they did, Meadow opened the door and invited them in with a nod of his head and a friendly smile.


	10. Chapter 10

"Spyro, Cynder would you like to join us at the table?" the feline asked politely

"Of course, it would be our pleasure" replied Spyro

"Excellent, but you will have to excuse me I have some final preparations to attend to. Make yourself at home" with that Meadow pointed at one room while he disappeared into the other

They've stood in a small hallway, the walls were made from some kind of reddish wood, probably the whole interior was covered in the same pattern. A small brown carpet laid on the wooden floor and ran through the whole hallway. All kind of weaponry hung on the walls, wooden round shields with reinforced strips, silvery swords of different sizes and hilts, some daggers and a staff every now and then. Two entrances were located on opposite sides of the wall, one leading to the room where Meadow went, while the other to the room where they should supposed to go.

They entered a salon and a huge one in fact, many windows dotted one of the walls allowing the light to properly illuminate the whole room, red curtains were drawn back allowing the sun to do its job, if necessary they were ready to block the sight from prying eyes. Just like previously some weaponry adorned the walls but this time they had company, some pelts from different animals hung from the walls, and carvings depicting a falcon feather embellished the columns that stood in the room supporting the ceiling.

One of these columns consisted a fireplace, a single female cheetah was taking care of it, she was hunkered down by the fire slowly picking up a piece of wood just to place it into the fireplace. She stared at the fire for a while, clapped her hands several times, got up and turned around. The cheetah looked like she just reached her adulthood, her fur had a sharp brown color with a black tone around her eyes and on her pointy ears, her fur was also covered in many small black spots, the brown color was turned into white on the inner parts of her legs and arms, the white fur also covered the lower part of her jaw, ran down her neck, covered the end of her tail and most likely covered the feline's chest, her black mane covered her forehead. She was wearing a simple white shirt and brown shorts reaching her knees, a silver circlet with three blue stones decorated her head.

She was walking towards them with her eyes focused on the floor while scratching her head, the cheetah's moves were full of grace and completely silent as she walked across the room with no boots on her paws. After a while she gave her raven mane a solid blow flinging it from her forehead and raised her head, her shining sapphire eyes widened a little when she noticed a purple dragon ahead, she kept walking staring at the draconic figure all the time, his head was slowly moving towards her and the moment their eyes met she gave him a saucy smile and walked past by him.

A couple of other cheetahs were walking around the room, some of them were occupied with a huge wooden table with both of it opposite ends slightly rounded standing near the windows, it was extremely wide it looked like it was suited for the whole village. They were arranging the chairs all around the table, while others were making the final cleaning preparations while the last part of them was already picking seats. The table was empty but it looked like it won't be like that for long.

The smell coming out from one of the rooms only confirmed it, both dragons sniffed the aroma, it was the scent of a cooking meat, a smell that they were quite accustomed with so they already could tell that a delicious dinner is being prepared, almost ready to be served. Their stomachs rumbled with need, the sound was so loud that they immediately looked at each other and giggled when their eyes met. They sniffed once again deeply inhaling the air while closing their eyes, the delightful smell invaded the dragons nostrils, tickling them and sending another signal down to their bellies that they should fight for the meal with all their might. Both dragons moaned loudly and their tongues hung from their mouths when they exhaled the air while opening their eyes that were coated with a strong craving which blocked the surroundings leaving only the sight of a single room and the smell that escaped from it. Dragons don't have to eat daily, in fact they can survive for weeks without food, but why torture oneself when a better opportunity presents itself? An opportunity that every hungry carnivore can't allow to slip.

" Hello? Is anybody there?" Meadow asked with a broad smile on his face

Both dragons blinked and shook their heads drawing back their tongues and bits of drool with a loud slurp " Meadow?" Spyro mumbled " what's... what's the matter?"

The cheetah chuckled " I've thought that I lost you there"

" We...we were just looking around" Spyro scratched the back of his head

" I can tell that you were quite concentrated on the details and I'm not the only one who noticed it"

Spyro instantly looked around the room, at first glance nothing changed, there were still cheetahs walking back and forth going on about their business, but whenever a cheetah looked at him while Spyro kept gawking at the feline the cat giggled. Spyro blushed instantly as he realized that they must have froze in that position for quite a while

Meadow burst out laughing " There is nothing to be embarrassed of, everyone has to eat, that's why I brought you here"

" And that was a very good idea" Cynder licked her mouth" If your surprises look like that then I don't mind to be startled sometimes"

Spyro's focus returned and he shot a quick glance around the place as he felt his curiosity boiling inside of him " This doesn't look like a dining room"

"Because it isn't" Meadow stated " This room is used as a meeting place when the Chiefs from other villages or some other guests arrive. Now as you noticed we turned it into a dining room of sort, since most of our warriors are in Warfang there is only a handful of us left so we decided to make one huge place where we could all meet and talk about practically everything, It brings us together, after all we are like a family, problem of a single cheetah is everyone else's problem"

Spyro turned around and looked at Meadow " This place is huge, it seems that you meet here quite often"

"Luckily we don't" the cheetah sighed like he just remembered some bad moments from the past "There were times when this room was bustling with activity..." as he spoke Spyro noticed the female cheetah in white shirt returning, she was carrying some pieces of wood in her arms which were closely held near her chest. The moment she was right behind Meadow she looked at the Purple Dragon giving him the same smile as earlier.

"... I remember how this place was crowded during Malefor's invasion and when Shadow shrouded the skies. Not only there were war leaders gathering here but also civilians that lost their homes and there was nowhere to place them" the cheetah looked around the salon wincing as he did so " Those were dark times indeed, pain, misery and fear, these were the feelings that walked with that time side by side. Whenever people looked at this building they knew something bad was going on and they have to stay alarmed, that's why we wanted to change it's bad reputation and the only way to do that was to overcome the horrors from the past"

"It looks like you did a fine job but if you want to keep it that way you should quench every alarm and we can help you with that" Cynder grinned while rubbing her chest.

Meadow chuckled " I believe you are right we should get to it right away" the female cheetah was walking behind the warrior once again but this time Meadow grabbed her arm and pulled her closer " But to do so we will need some assistance"

" How can I help you?" the female cheetah patted her mane coquettishly without even looking at the male cheetah or dragoness, her sapphire eyes focused only on the purple drake in front of her

" Inform the rest of the village if you don't mind, it is time" Meadow released the feline's arm

" Is there any other way I can help you?" she said with a seductive tone while staring at Spyro and delicately biting her finger

"I'm-"

"He's fine" Cynder retorted coldly cutting Spyro off

" If you think of something I'll be here" the cheetah winked and turned around running her feline tail across Spyro's jaw as she began walking towards one of the rooms swaying her hips

Spyro watched her with wide eyes and slightly opened mouth, her move caught him by surprise but it seems that the whole world saving thing will draw some attention to him even if he didn't want it. Spyro smiled, his brother would love the additional attention, he would take advantage of the situation boasting about some things he supposedly done but in fact they never happened in the first place. Spyro chuckled and shook his head, he could only guess what his brother would say but it would be most likely something extremely stupid.

With that thought in his mind he looked at Cynder wanting to throw some stupid joke about all this. His smile vanished instantly when his amethyst orbs focused on her. She was staring at him with fiery eyes which he could swear were flashing with murderous intent, When Spyro noticed some green tiny flames coming out from her nose he gulped. He did something wrong again, she seemed pretty agitated and just like on the slope he has no idea why. He was certain of one thing though whatever he did made her furious which means he is in trouble.

A loud ringing sound just like someone hit a bell reached them catching everyone's attention, Spyro sighed, salvation came just in time.

"It's going to begin soon, but before we take a seat there is one last thing to do" Meadow patted the purple dragon's shoulder and made a meaningful motion with his hand "Spyro, walk with me"

They made their way towards one of the bigger columns " What is it Meadow?" Spyro asked surprised

The cheetah lead him behind the column almost hiding from the other felines walking around the room "Don't worry it's nothing serious, it's about your wounds" he slid his hand behind his robe and removed a small satchel " The dinner is almost ready and guests will arrive soon with children and we don't want them to see you bleeding, good memories you understand"

Spyro took the satchel and furrowed a brow " You lead me here just to hide from children? Sorry but I'm not buying it"

Meadow looked around like he wanted to check if somebody is listening " I'm not lying about the children, if they see blood they won't stop asking questions and since you are their hero I'm afraid they would hurt themselves just to be like you" he scratched his head and looked at the satchel " and if Prowlus would find out that I took it I'd be dead" the cheetah chuckled " I know the Chief better than anyone else, I'm sure he has spies around here"

Spyro took a peek inside the satchel and jerked back in surprise " Why he would be mad about this? They are worthless for cheetahs"

" I know that's why I think it has something to do with his attitude towards your kind, I don't have to remind you how stubborn he can be" Meadow's ears flinched when the sound of many footsteps reached him " We don't have much time"

Spyro plunged his paw into the satchel and removed a red gem from it. Spirit Gems while most likely valuable don't have any special properties, every specie living in the Realms considers them just to be simple treasure , expect for dragons. For them Spirit Gems are a gift from the Ancestors well at least that was what Ignitus always told Spyro. One thing was sure though, they are also undoubtedly the life force of all dragons, with the Dragon race known to draw strength from these Gems. They are separated into four colors.

Red Gems are able to heal a wound that a simple poultice couldn't treat properly, a less serious injury is healed instantly. However as powerful as they may be there are unable to heal mortal wounds or will fail to help with life threatening wounds without the assistance of a healer. Blue and Green Gems restore the dragon's elemental energy while the first one also empowers the breaths slightly. Sometimes they can help to turn the table in the worst circumstances. Purple Gems are the rarest and most powerful of them. They help to reach a point where the most devastating attacks can be unleashed.

The dragons call it Fury, Fury attacks are the most deadly strikes that very few enemies have even the slightest chance of surviving. Those attacks are similar to Convexity but weaker. Theoretically every dragon can reach a point where Fury powers can be unleashed, mostly it is reached while fighting, the adrenaline fuels that power, but sometimes it can be released just by concentrating . Practically only the most talented and willing dragons are able to master this ability, that's why it is also called The Ultimate Sacrifice by some of the more devoted drakes, whenever dragons use Fury they sacrifice a portion of themselves a portion that some of them believed came from the Ancestors themselves. Nobody knows if it's true but one thing was sure, the unleashed power drains the dragons energy making them extremely weakened and only the most powerful are strong enough to commit such a sacrifice. Good riddance too, there would be nothing left of this world probably if every dragon could use his Fury powers.

Spyro looked at the Red Gem in his paw, it was glittering with a sharp red light. The gem seemed to block all the sun rays not allowing them to even reflect from its smooth surface, the only light it ever needed swirled inside its structure, it was the Gems light and it won't allow anything to touch it. Spyro concentrated on the Gem, his paw was getting warmer and the light inside the Gem swirled faster and faster just like it wanted to be free. Moments later it fulfilled Spyro's wish, the light penetrated the smooth surface just like it found some cracks it, seconds later the whole Gem glowed and released its prisoner. When the intense red light reached Spyro he flinched slightly, whenever the powers of the Gems struck him he felt the strength of a thousand suns pass through his body. The light was as soothing as it was powerful, it left a refreshing chill on his body, closing every wound instantly. When the bright light subsided there was no sign of the Gem, it looked like the precious stone became that light, flashing and using its powers when they were needed and dying when it has served its purpose.

Meadow watched the whole scene with wide eyes " I'm beginning to understand Hunter, Spyro you truly are very special"

Spyro shrugged "There is nothing special about this, it's just what we dragons do"

"For you maybe it's nothing but for a cheetah like me this is very impressive" the noise in the salon got louder " We better get going" with that they left their hiding place.

Cheetahs filled the room, in a corner Spyro saw a familiar feline in white shirt placing a hammer and a bell on one of the shelves, some cats were walking aimlessly around the room and plunged into a conversation when opportunity presented itself. Cynder remained in the same spot they had left her, but she wasn't alone, some cheetah cubs and a single female dragoness stood not far from her. They were shouting something between each other while they pointed their small claws at her. It looked like she had enough of being treated like some sort of a scary exhibit so every now and then she twitched making the children squeak and jump in horror.

When the cheetahs spotted Meadow heading towards the table they followed in his footsteps, both dragons did the same thing as well. Meadow took a seat on the farther side of the table. Cheetahs surrounded the table and started to take their seats, it went really smoothly just like they have done this for quite some time know, Both dragons made their way closer to the table, obviously they can't seat in chairs so Spyro grabbed one of the chairs pulled it away and sat on his haunches, with his nose slightly above the table. Cynder decided to take a seat just next to him but the moment she started to pull away the chair a young female cheetah with a black mane sat on it. The feline grabbed the chair and dragged it closer to the table while she winked at Spyro, Cynder watched her with a frown and a boiling anger inside her, but after a while she decided to give up, she doesn't want to start a fight about such thing. One other chair was taken instantly, only after the second try Cynder managed to pull away a free chair and sat in its place, the moment she sat on her haunches Spyro craned his neck to look at her apologetically , when she met his gaze Cynder gave him an irritated look and snorted quietly moments later when she looked at the female cheetah. A male cheetah took a seat next to Cynder giving her a full of disdain look before he turned around and whispered something to his neighbor, the second cheetah repeated the same move, another one did the same and so on. Even from here she could tell that she is not very welcome here.

Some quiet conversations were running around the table, but they died out when the cheetahs from the room that was most likely the kitchen entered the salon carrying silver platters with food on them. The moment the long plate with many different kind of cooked meat landed in the middle of the table both dragons craned their necks and started to drool. Lamb, beef, venison and chicken laid in front of them, the meat looked delicious and the fantastic smell it emanated made their bellies rumble. Only good manners prevented them from wolfing it all down. Many different types of fruits followed soon after, apples and raspberries were in high demand it seems since they were in majority. Fruits and meat were already present on the table, the last thing that was missing were vegetables, salad and carrots the most common types. With all the platters in the middle of the table and in front of the guests, water, wine and some juices were added to the dinner, with them every guest received a mug next to his dish.

Seeing that everything is in order and ready Meadow slightly nodded his head, sending a signal for those who know what to look for. A couple of cheetahs that previously put all of the food on the table grabbed a bottle of each drink and started to walk all around the table. The children mugs were filled with juice while the adults had a freedom of choice. Some decided to drink water, other just like Spyro and Meadow received a mug of wine, the moment the cheetah carrying the bottle reached Cynder she extended her paw with the mug towards the feline but he only gave her a scornful look, snorted, placed the bottle on the table and walked away.

_"Ok Cynder, it seems you are on your own"_ she thought to herself while grabbing the bottle of wine and pouring some of the red liquid into her mug.

Picking up the mug filled with wine Meadow stood up and cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention " I welcome you all here, it's always a pleasure for me to see you all in this room, enjoying this dinner with the rest of your neighbors. Even if this is not the first time we eat together it always warms my heart to see you all gathered here, after all we are a one big family. To you!" with the last words exclaimed Meadow raised the mug and took a sip accompanied by a cheerful commotion.

Licking his mouth he continued "But we can't forget that we wouldn't be here if not for the happy turn of events. As we all know The Dark Master seemed unbeatable, it looked like he would destroy everything and we can't do nothing to stop him. But we prevailed! Some might say we were lucky, some might say we cheated destiny but I say that they are wrong. In every dark times heroes rise to defeat the evil and it has nothing to do with destiny, it's just the way it is." Taking a breath he looked across the table " And that's why we have to remember those who did the impossible, because if not for them we wouldn't be here and It's my great honor to see them at the table with us" He raised his mug " A toast to Spyro!" Meadow exclaimed.

Every cheetah raised his or her mug and exclaimed happily Meadow's last words, it was so loud that it made the whole platters jump on the table slightly. Spyro sat there completely dumbfounded and embarrassed , every eye was staring at him and he felt so small, it didn't matter for him that he managed to save the world. He blushed slightly when he received the much unwanted attention, he never wanted to be a hero, he never wanted to be considered a savior, it was a very uncomfortable feeling for him. He looked around the table, every cheetah was bowing their head slightly in a dignified manner when they noticed that he was looking at them.

The first thing that looked differently was a smiling black snout, Cynder had to notice his uneasy expression, he has to look really stupid since her smile wasn't disappearing. Despite her cheerful expression her emerald eyes were betraying some other feeling, they were shining with sincere pride. He knew her very well, she liked to tease him and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. He was right, Cynder seeing his troubled snout straightened up and bowed her head grinning despitefully, Spyro smiled shyly after that motion. The second thing that looked differently was the female cheetah next to him, she had the mug pressed against her lips, her blue eyes were staring intently at him. It was no ordinary look, they were radiating with passion or maybe something else? Whatever it was Spyro felt intimidated, his cheeks turned red and he quickly averted his gaze.

" A toast to Cynder!" Meadow exclaimed before he took a sip from his mug.

The full of happiness noise died instantly just like somebody would turn off a switch that was responsible for the joyful atmosphere. The cheetahs exchanged surprised looks between themselves while throwing some scornful and full of hate glances towards Cynder, it looked like they hadn't been expecting her to be mentioned as one of the heroes after everything she had done. It was enough for some of the felines as they sat down and placed their mugs onto the table with a loud thud. Some remained standing and started reluctantly drinking the mugs contents, just like they wanted to follow Meadow's courtesy even if it was despite their judgment. Cynder observed the cheetahs, she knew that there is nothing she can do to change their minds about her, but that doesn't mean she can't irritate them a little, after all she can't make it worse than it is already. It's not like they are going to kill her for an innocent tease, at least she hoped so, but even this thought didn't stop her.

"May she live forever!" Cynder exclaimed raising her mug.

All of the cheetahs looked at her with disbelief plastered on their faces which later turned into sheer anger. She looked around and saw Spyro shaking his head with an amused look on his snout. There was a loud thud, Cynder turned her head and noticed one of the cheetahs sitting down and throwing her a furious glance. Soon all the other felines followed in his example, as they took their seats they began grunting something incoherently between themselves, the cheetahs near her slid their chairs across the wooden floor just to be some inches farther from her, just like she was leprous. Only the female cheetah in white shirt didn't seem to be bothered by her tease. The grunts created quite a noise as every cheetah began whispering something to his neighbor ears. Cynder didn't really care what they were saying but judging from their eyes and frowns it looked like her little tease worked, she could tell that those were no sweet words .

"_This is going to be a fine afternoon"_ she quipped in her mind and began drinking the red wine with a sly smile on her snout.

* * *

Meadow cleared his throat and sat down, wanting to quickly disperse the awkward atmosphere " With that out of the way let's begin the dinner shall we?"

He didn't have to repeat himself, the irritated grunts were gone only to be replaced by a slight and cheery commotion as every cheetah reached for the platters on the table. Slices of meat, fruits, portions of vegetables were disappearing when the felines placed their paws on the closest thing they could reach. Spyro observed as paws were running in front of his eyes, dragging the platters farther away from him. His stomach clenched with a powerful longing just as it could feel that the much needed treat was running away from it. Nevertheless Spyro didn't make a move, he is a guest here so he decided to wait politely for the dishes especially the ones with the meat on them to get closer.

The female cheetah next to him giggled " You have to be really brave to put your patience to the test like that"

Spyro jerked slightly, the female voice startled him a bit, impulsively he turned his head to locate the source of it, even if he already knew to whom this voice belonged to. The moment he set his eyes on the young brown face he was greeted by a loving smile.

" I can wait," Spyro mumbled "I'm not so hungry anyway"

The feline giggled once more " If you say so"

Spyro concentrated on the table once again, the cheetahs were talking happily while chewing the cooked pieces of meat. His stomach rumbled once more, he could see how they were eating the different types of meal and judging from the looks on their faces the meat has to be good. Spyro sniffed the scent of the cooked food again, the moment the smell invaded his nostrils he could tell that the meat wasn't good, it was delicious! His mouth began to water, he could feel its taste even if he never took a single bite. Who knows how long he was staring at the eating cheetahs and the platters, but one thing was sure, Spyro never made a move, all this time he restrained himself.

" Can I tell you a secret?" the female cheetah asked with a tone of amusement in her voice

Spyro nodded "Sure"

She leaned closer " You can sit like this even the whole day but the thing you are waiting for won't be coming. They will only notice you when there are only leftovers on the platters"

Spyro sighed "I'm a guest here I'll wait for my turn, they deserve this more than I do anyway"

The feline giggled "How noble of you! But you know how it is with carnivores, when we are hungry and there is meat just at paw's reach we can't think straight"

Spyro felt confused " I can't just take the meat for myself, that's not right"

The female cheetah shrugged "Perhaps, but this is how it's done" she sighed " My parents always told me to fight for the things you are interested in even if you might get burned in the end" with that she leaned from her chair trying to reach for something on Spyro's right side, as she did so she brushed his snout with her arm and gave him a saucy look " Seize the day" she whispered ravishingly, and she did it in such a way that Spyro instantly felt choked up. The feline arched a bit forward delicately sliding her flank across Spyro's nose, this move and her scent made his heart race, he felt like he was burning and even if he couldn't see it he knew he was completely red by now.

The feline slowly backed down, sliding her flank once more time across Spyro's nose as she dragged a silver platter across the table. When the plate stopped just in front of him she looked at Spyro and giggled "You are so cute" with that she slid back into her seat delicately sliding her claw across his completely red cheek "Enjoy"

He swallowed hard and looked at the platter, it had a quite a big piece of beef meat on it, with disbelief and embarrassment plastered on his snout he looked at her just to look at the food again moments later before throwing her another glance just to end finally on the meat in front of him "T...t... thank you" Spyro stammered

"It was my pleasure" she winked

"B..b...but..w..what about you?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm full"

Spyro knew instantly that she was lying since he didn't saw her eating anything. He looked at the portion of meat in front of him, it was big, big enough to satisfy his growing hunger, but not big enough to satisfy it fully. The needs of other people come first but he knew that she most likely won't accept the whole portion so he decided to split it. He thrust his claw into the meat and with a couple of swift moves severed the food in half, Spyro quickly grabbed a nearby empty plate and put the piece on it before sliding the dish across the table until it stopped in front of her.

"Enjoy" he smiled kindly

The cheetah giggled "You are so cute!"

* * *

Cynder didn't notice what was happening a couple of seats next to her as she was only focused on the plates moving across the table. Her eyes were especially staring at the platters filled with meat and the longer she did that she felt the rumble in her stomach intensifying. She was enthralled by the smell and the sight of the deliciously looking meat, Cynder was so charmed by it that she unconsciously opened her mouth. With her maw hanging slightly open a bit of drool started lolling out from her lower lip as she observed the moving platters just like she was hypnotized.

After a while one of the plates stopped moving and that was the signal her mind waited for. Cynder blinked several times snapping out from her trance, she stared at the meat, her emerald eyes almost devouring it. Cynder looked around it seemed that no cheetah was interested in this particular platter, the meal is hers and hers alone , a delicate lean forward is enough to grab it. Licking her mouth and with rumbling anxiety in her stomach she reached for the delicious food, time seemed to slow down as she extended her paw closer and closer towards the meat, her claw scratched the meal, soon, very soon it will be in her grasp and finally she will silence the longing of her belly.

Cynder bit her lip while clenching her paw, the final move, the last effort before she will get hold of the luscious meat. Cynder gasped and her green eyes widened when her claws tried to catch the air instead of the food, her head jerked back in surprise as she noticed the platter sliding farther away, being dragged by a feline paw. Cynder's paw fell onto the table and she unclenched her claws as she observed the sliding platter with terrified eyes. If her emerald orbs could speak they would be yelling "_Nooooooo!"_ just like she would see someone very dear to her falling down from a ledge because she wasn't strong enough to pull him up.

Cynder observed the platter until it stopped near a feline form, then her eyes followed the piece of meat that was being raised by a orange paw. The cheetah was having a nice and joyful conversation with his female friend, Cynder's mouth dropped open in horror as she saw the meat slowly being moved towards the feline's mouth. The moment his teeth clenched on the food she winced just as if in pain, she hissed and kept jerking whenever she noticed him chewing the piece of meal.

Cynder remained in that position hoping that the cheetah will notice her pleading expression but the feline paid her no mind, the last thing that kept her hope lit was the another piece of meat laying still on the platter. The moment she noticed a feline paw reaching for the meat Cynder's eyes sparkled, they took pity on her and she will finally satisfy the craving of her stomach. With every move the feline paw made towards the meat Cynder arched her head higher and higher, licking her mouth in anticipation as the paw was getting closer to the meal. Her eyes went wide in shock as she saw the meat being raised by the paw, not towards her but upwards until it was at the height of the female cheetah face. The moment she took a bite Cynder's forehead landed on the table, sighing in defeat she made her way backwards along the table and sat in the previously occupied spot.

Cynder felt resigned, it was so close but someone was faster than her and it was even more depressing since there was no other plate with meat in close vicinity. If she would be welcome here the only thing she would need to do was just ask someone to move the food closer, but unfortunately she wasn't. The cheetahs would most likely ignore her or throw some snide remarks before... well, ignoring her. Cynder cursed her bad luck, she is around not very friendly people and the one single moment of pleasure slipped just right from her claws. Patience sometimes pays off, the only thing left was to wait for a nearby cheetah to ask for a plate of meat so she could snatch it before it reaches the feline.

Some time has passed and unfortunately for Cynder no meat was heading her way, her stomach rumbled in disappointment. However there is always a bright side in every chagrin, her longing green eyes caught the sight of a nearby platter with vegetables. That wasn't the thing she really wanted but with nothing interesting around it has to suffice. Cynder arched forward extending her paw for the plate, she bit her lip in anticipation as her claws were just a few inches from the dish. Her eyes widened in surprise and she gasped faintly as the plate was pulled away from her when she was just about to grab it. Cynder's eyes traced the cheetah, just like the previous one he was lost in a conversation, completely ignoring her, it seems luck tricked her again. Sighing in defeat she hit the table with her forehead before returning to the previously occupied spot.

After a while her hungry eyes noticed a plate filled with fruits, they won't satisfy her screaming belly but they would serve as a perfect snack before she will get her paws on some meat. Cynder licked her mouth imagining the sweet juices caressing her palate and extended her paw towards the plate. Her eyes widened and she gasped faintly once again when the platter has been pulled away from her. Cynder scanned the cheetah responsible for this, the feline was having a conversation with her neighbor, just like the previous ones. Cynder sighed and her head was dropping down to land on the table once more, but just when her forehead was about to hit the top she stopped and frowned. Cynder raised her head to look at the cheetah once again, she was still talking with her neighbor. Cynder looked around focusing on the places where she was trying to reach the dishes, the cheetahs responsible for the theft were still there, nothing changed, the felines completely ignored her as they were lost in a conversation. Cocking her head slightly to one side Cynder returned to her spot.

She scanned the surroundings thoughtfully watching the cheetahs and the plates with still some food on them. Cynder extended her paw to reach for the nearby platter, just as previously it was dragged away before she could reach it. Frowning she threw the next talking cheetahs an angry glance before she returned to her spot. Cynder reached for an another plate but once again it was dragged away from her. As she returned to her spot Cynder immediately reached for another plate just to see it being pulled away from her. She repeated the same move a couple more times with all of them ending in the same way, after a while Cynder returned to her spot and looked around.

There were groups of cheetahs talking where she tried to grab a plate, all of them ignoring her. Cynder put two and two together just to realize that it has nothing to do with bad luck, the cheetahs made it on purpose, preventing her from satisfying her hungry belly. Cynder watched them with angry eyes, they must have planned this from the very beginning , they must hate her stronger than she firstly thought. As Cynder's eyes were running from feline to feline one of them looked at her just like he heard her thoughts. The moment their eyes met the cheetah smiled mockingly just like he wanted to confirm her suspicions before continuing his happy conversation with the other cheetahs.

"This is going to be a fine afternoon" Cynder muttered and took a sip from her mug without even the slightest smile on her snout.

* * *

"If not for you I would never have the chance to see my mate and children again. Thank you" a male cheetah said with a wavering voice while holding Spyro's shoulders and staring at him with watery eyes.

Spyro's heart jumped, he felt sympathy for the feline, he could only imagine how it is to fight without knowing if you will have a chance to see your family again, he didn't like the attention but nevertheless it warmed his heart to see the cheetah reunited with his loved ones.

" You don't need to thank me, I did nothing special"

The cheetah chuckled while wiping a tear that run down his cheek " Modesty even after everything you have done" the cheetah coughed " I also want to thank you in the name of other warriors that couldn't be here, it really makes your heart scream in joy when you see your friends reuniting with their families" the feline sobbed

A tear formed itself in the corner of Spyro's eye " I...I was happy to help"

"Thank you once again" the cheetah stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled "But I better go now, I don't want my children to see me in such state, I'm a proud warrior after all" the feline chuckled " Best of luck to you Spyro" with that he looked in his amethyst eyes for the last time and bowed his head gratefully before turning around

"Likewise" Spyro smiled and watched the cheetah walking away towards one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table where two cubs and a female cheetah were sitting. The moment he arrived he hugged his children tightly and kissed his mate softly.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Meadow's soft tone of voice reached him

Spyro observed the family and as he did so he couldn't stop smiling "Yeah..." he huffed "...yeah it does"

" Now this is only one of the many people you saved, one of the many children that have a future thanks to you. You assured all of them a safe world to live in, you are a hero Spyro."

This little scene and Meadow's words made Spyro to think, he never really gave it much thought but they did it, they averted the total destruction. They did it for someone, for the people here and not just one of the families but all of them, every specie living in the Realms was saved and it's thanks to them. His heart jumped, as he realized that everything depended on them, every life hanged in the balance and only their action prolonged those lives. Spyro felt no pride, no glorification for his deeds, while he looked around the table and saw the happy faces his heart pounded at his chest with joy and...fear. He was a bit scared, they both did something nobody thought was possible and that only will draw attention to him, attention he was uncomfortable with, attention that every hero receives and that is what he was afraid of. People will consider him a savior now, they will look at him for guidance, they will look at him for protection. He shuddered, they put on him a great responsibility, responsibility that he never asked for, responsibility that terrified him.

"I'm no hero Meadow, I'm just a normal dragon who fought a battle everyone else could fight if they were given the chance" Spyro said with a glimmer of fear in his voice

The warrior smiled " Yes you are Spyro, no one could have accomplished what you did. I myself don't believe in destiny, but does the prophecy not speak of a Purple Dragon who will bring peace to the Realms? I don't know about you but I can see such a dragon, the whole thing makes me reconsider my point of view sometimes" he quipped

Spyro remained unconvinced " Heroes do everything alone, they defeat their enemies all by themselves and I had help, people seem to forget that. If not for Cynder I wouldn't even be here"

Meadow shook his head " That's not true, heroes need help just like anyone else. Be it fate, luck or something else but for some reason Cynder was there to help you in one of the most dangerous battles of your life and trust me she will receive the honors she deserves one day, just give all of us some time" the cheetah looked directly into Spyro's amethyst eyes " Malefor wasn't the greatest enemy, he was only a trial before the final battle. The whole world was shaking and the purple flashes coming from The Dark Master's lair were enough to say that the decisive battle was just taking place. It was you who fought the impossible and triumphed! You mended the world itself and there was no one else who could have done it. You might deny it but you are a hero Spyro and people will look at you as their leader"

Fear gripped Spyro's heart, the thought of people following his command scared him " I can't be a leader!" he exclaimed quietly and gulped " I mean... I will be a terrible leader trust me this role is not for me"

" Not yet, but you have that spark in you, it is burrowed deep down I must admit but everything in due time." Meadow smiled kindly " You have also one extraordinary trait Spyro, you have a golden heart, you have a sincere care for everyone, even for those who were condemned by everybody"

Spyro sighed "Then I suppose I should keep that spark burrowed down as long as I can"

Meadow nodded " I agree" a male cheetah whispered something into his ear" Spyro you will have to excuse me" with that he began talking with the feline

Spyro stared at the window in front of him completely lost in thought. A leader, he never imagined someone would call him like that but it seems that he is or will be one in the future with every specie counting on him. Spyro begged the Ancestors in his mind to move away that future as far as they could, he is not really devoted but it looks like the living already made their decision so the only thing he could do was to convince the dead of his inability.

"You are interesting" a clearly amazed female cheetah stated

The voice startled him "What?"

"Where is your confidence? You saved a whole world and you act like nothing ever happened. If you ask me saving a world is no simple feat and in my book that counts for a lot, you should be proud of yourself"

"There is nothing to be proud of, I just did what had to be done"

She jerked back in surprise " Amazing, the...people I knew always boasted about their deeds and they had every right to"

Spyro shrugged " I'm not one of them"

She furrowed a brow " I can see that, they call you a hero, you can have everything you want and you have problems asking for a stupid meat?" the feline chuckled "Remarkable"

"It's wrong to take advantage of people just because I did something they consider to be special, besides I don't need anything"

"There is always something"

" Nope, I'm fine"

Her ears flinched " Oh I assure you there is" with that she leaned closer looked him straight into the eyes while placing a paw on his chest "You just need to ask the right questions" she said with a ravishing tone

She began delicately rubbing his chest every now and then scratching his scales with her claw. The moment she did that Spyro was instantly out of breath, his heart jumped to his throat and he began to feel very warm, Spyro could tell he was blushing. The sight of her saucy shining sapphire eyes and her female scent weren't really helping him to calm down "Wha...I...I..." he mumbled incoherently

She scratched his scales passionately "You are pretty muscular and good looking for one of your age and I can tell you that there are some cheetahs here who would like to get to know you" she moved her head forward rubbing her cheek against his "Inside out" she whispered seductively and planted a soft kiss on his red cheek

Her breath and tender lips on his snout almost forced his racing heart to jump out from his chest. Spyro with a corner of his eye saw some female cheetahs watching him and giggling, that and the brown feline caressing his chest made him quite embarrassed "We...we are...not alone and I-" he huffed

"Let them watch" she cut him off with a firm tone " That's none of their business" her paw moved lower down his chest in a circular motion while she lowered her head down towards his neck breathing rapidly as she did so, the warm air she exhaled made Spyro to shiver " Tell me my hero is there any way I can repay you?" she whispered with the same ravishing tone before tenderly biting his neck

The moment her razor teeth sank into his scales Spyro twitched, her breath, teeth, lips, damp nose and tongue were bewitching him. However as good as it felt Spyro couldn't shake off the feeling that this is wrong, he didn't know why but something told him that he can't fall for that charm. He felt as his heart was torn apart, part of it wanted the attention, it desired it, but the second part sent warning signals that were quite strong.

"L...listen there is something..." he gasped as she bit his neck again "we shouldn't..." Spyro thought for a moment, the red light in his head won making him to back down from this pleasurable moment. Nevertheless Spyro couldn't tell her that, it may be stupid but he didn't want to hurt her and by telling her directly to leave him alone he would most likely do that.

"I've been wondering if you-" the cheetah moved her head upwards caressing his scales with her breath and lips

"Ask" she said with the same ravishing tone while looking directly into his eyes.

Her passionate sapphire orbs drained the remains of his confidence in seconds " I...I...I just want to ask you if...if..." he was lost for words, Spyro didn't know what to say. Impulsively his eyes traveled across the table and widened as an idea crossed his mind. Spyro took a deep breath " Do you have a taste for vegetables?" he finally blurt out.

She reared her head back in surprise "What?"

"Because I do and believe me or not but I've never ate a carrot before" his voice becoming more hectic with each word

"I...I-"

Spyro cut her off by babbling thoughtlessly "They say that carrots have some vitamins in them that make your sight better"

The cheetah stared at him with her mouth slightly opened, she was speechless with disbelief plastered on her face.

"Not only carrots are healthy, basically all vegetables have some vitamins in them" as he kept chattering Spyro noticed the feline frowning "Everyone should eat vegetables to stay healthy" Spyro looked at her "Would you like some?" he finally asked using all of the little air left in his lungs.

"Yeah..." she sighed "...yeah why not" with that she slid back into her chair.

Spyro instantly leaned forward grabbing the first plate with vegetables he could put his paws on. With the platter in his claws Spyro dragged it closer before putting a portions on his free plate while the rest landed on hers. Spyro immediately began eating without even looking at her.

She stared at the vegetables in front of her for a while before turning her head to look at the Purple Dragon next to her "You are an odd one" she retorted

* * *

Cynder's been making little circles with her claw on the surface of the perfectly clean plate before her, completely lost in her dream world. In that perfect world her plate was filled with deliciously looking meat, with some vegetables added to the meal and some fruits nearby just in case she wanted something sweet after the dinner. She could also choose from many types of food, enough to satisfy even the most demanding belly. Cynder's eyes watered at the sight, she licked her mouth ready to devour the food before her, just as she clenched her teeth to take the bite the meal disappeared.

Cynder's mind returned to reality when a cheerful laughter startled her, she impulsively looked around just to see the cheetahs still lost in their joyful conversations. She looked at the table with many different kinds of food laying on silver platters, they were so close yet so far. A male cheetah grabbed a piece of meat just like he heard her thoughts, envy and anger filled her as she saw the feline taking a bite, it looked innocent but something told her that he did it on purpose, just to taunt her.

Cynder looked at the empty plate before her and sighed in defeat, her rumbling stomach constantly reminded her of that failure. As she stared at the plate Cynder winced every time she heard someone chewing some food in his mouth. The noise was so loud that she couldn't think about anything else, it was infuriating.

" I swear that was the last time I ever teased someone" Cynder mumbled resigned under her nose.

She shook her head trying to quench those annoying feelings but her rumbling belly reminded her who calls the shots here. A laughter caught her attention,, the moment Cynder followed the noise she noticed two familiar cheetah cubs and a petite azure dragoness, the children were playing happily without even caring what is happening around them. Cynder looked around the table, every cheetah was smiling broadly as they were talking with their neighbors.

Incoherent words and happy laughs surrounded her, they were exchanged between cheetahs that didn't even threw her a quick glance just like she never existed in the first place. As she observed the felines Cynder began to feel lonely after all she didn't exchange with anybody even a single word. As she sat there and observed the working felines she began to feel bored, everyone else was doing something while she was sitting near the table completely forgotten.

After a while she couldn't stand it much longer , Cynder began leaning close towards one of the talking cheetahs, she had enough of this silence.

"I tell you, the Chief will lead our armies when the times comes" one of the male cheetahs stated with a confident tone.

"You still think that after everything that happened there is still a chance we will go to battle?" a second one replied clearly surprised

"Of course, we are warriors battle just follows us around"

" Besides the leaderless Dark Army there is nothing out there that can threaten us, well maybe the Dragons but for the time being they will be quiet, they suffered many loses, just like we did"

"Evil always finds a way my friend"

"Hi!" an cheerful female voice reached them

"Speak of the devil" one of the cheetahs whispered making the other one chuckle

" How are you doing?" Cynder asked with a smile

The cheetahs looked at her with disgust in their eyes without even saying a single word

Cynder ignored it " It's a beautiful day there is no reason to be angry, sometimes I have so stupid ideas" she looked them over with the same happy expression " There is no reason to worry about the Dark Army, without their leader they are no threat. As for dragons I assure you that we mean you no harm, it's not like I'll go on a rampage again I've learnt my lesson" she chuckled

The cheetah's eyes flared up and they growled after her comment. It was then when Cynder realized that this was a very stupid joke, they still remember her as one of their worst enemies and reminding them of that wasn't really a good idea . Cynder caught " So how's the food?"

One of the cheetahs smirked from ear to ear "It's delicious, I've never ate anything better, isn't that right?" he gave the second cheetah a meaningful look

The same smile formed itself on the second feline's face " Absolutely, the meat is so well cooked that every bite releases some new flavor, the vegetables are so well prepared, a true delicacy I must say, while the fruits are so fresh that they caress your palate in the most delicate manner. I've never had a dinner in my life such as good as this"

Cynder's belly rumbled so loud making both cheetahs chuckle, she knew they teased her but that didn't prevent her from licking her mouth as she imagined how the food tasted " Good...good" she mumbled and shook her head, it's better not to give them the satisfaction. Cynder chuckled nervously " The whole thing reminds me of something, once I found a basket of fruits laying on the ground, you have to imagine my surprise when I found out that-"

" We are not interested in your stories" one of the cheetahs cut her off with a firm tone

"Yeah it's a stupid memory anyway, hey maybe you have some cool stories to tell?"

" We are not interested in talking with you Shadow" the second cheetah replied angrily

"But-"

" I said we are not interested" the feline replied louder this time, gaining the attention of the nearby cheetahs. They all looked at her with furious eyes and clenched their fists tightly demonstrating that this discussion is over.

Cynder frowned, she wanted to tell them what she thinks of this whole situation, she might deserve it but it still made her angry when people treated her like trash. Her eyes focused on every cheetah that stared at her, a one snide remark would be enough to stir this whole company, but then she thought better of it, they hated her after all and most likely a little nudge was enough to start a fight and that's the last thing she wanted, besides she's a guest here.

With a snort she began retreating from the felines "Assholes" Cynder muttered irritably under her breath. When she reached her typical position she looked around and spotted a couple of cheetahs talking not far away from her, they looked more friendly than the previous group. Still craving for some company she made her way towards them.

"Hi!" Cynder greeted the group in a cheerful manner

Their friendly expressions changed drastically, now they looked like they have just spotted something that they never expected to see. It was only a matter of seconds when the surprise plastered on their faces turned into indictment and disdain and Cynder immediately knew who caused this quick change in their appearance. After a short moment one of the felines burst out something angrily in a foreign language, she might not understand the words but Cynder could tell she was the topic of his angry outburst. Momentarily every cheetah that was in this group started shouting at her while gesticulating acrimoniously.

Cynder winced " I think I've got the wrong address" she retorted and scuttled towards her seat before things got ugly.

As she prepared to sit down Cynder threw a quick glance towards the only drake around this table that she knew for sure liked her. Spyro was laughing with a couple of cheetahs around him, as much as she needed to talk to someone she didn't want to ruin his afternoon, it's good that at least one of them is having a good time. With a resigned sigh Cynder began making another circles on the plate with her claw, returning to her imaginary world once again.

"Wow, you are really ugly" a high female voice reached her

Cynder blinked when the unexpected sound broke her trance. With a shake of her head just to bring her mind back to reality she looked around and her pupils grew slightly when she noticed an azure, petite and very young dragoness staring at her. Cynder recognized the hatchling, she was the dragoness who the cubs called Az.

" Have you always been so ugly and scary?" the dragoness asked excited while trembling slightly

Cynder sighed " Sorry kid I'm not in the mood"

" I bet you were! Only ugly people do nasty things!"

" Great now get..." Cynder's voice trailed off as a thought crossed her mind. This might be her only chance to talk to someone, even if this was only a child Cynder knew it won't get any better. Her heart jumped in joy, an opportunity arose which will end her loneliness once and for all.

"Come on, I'm not that ugly" Cynder replied happily

" Yes you are!" the dragoness exclaimed "but I don't know why"

"Because I'm a special dragoness"

The hatchling's eyes widened "Special?"

Cynder nodded " Yes special, the more nasty things I did, the uglier I got"

The young dragoness curled her nose in disgust "Ewwww, I'll never do any nasty things, never"

Cynder smiled " Good for you"

The young dragoness eyes sparkled "Oh I know! That's why you are so scary now!"

"If I am so scary then why are you talking with me?"

Az grinned proudly "Because my uncle is a strong warrior and he would kick your ass if something happened to me!"

Cynder chuckled " You are really brave"

"Ha! You bet! I'm the bravest dragoness around!"

A high laughter was heard " You are not brave Az, you were the first to run away remember? a familiar cheetah cub retorted with a big black spot on his forehead, he was accompanied by the second familiar cub, the one with dark eyes.

Az frowned " I wasn't running away, I looked for a better place to stand and fight!"

The cubs burst out laughing " Of course!"

The dragoness snorted " Yeah? And who did hide behind his mother? Hahaha!"

Dot scratched his head " I.. I was just...ummm..." he frowned " I ran to her because she called me!"

The dragoness laughed wryly "Yeah right!"

"You are not that scary" Black eye cautiously touched Cynder

The moment she felt his claw on her scales she twitched forcefully and emitted a stifled scream making all of the children jump and gasp in horror "Sorry, just a reflex" she smiled wryly

Black eye shook his paw just like it was electrocuted " Why your scales are so black?"

Cynder shrugged " I don't know, I was born that way"

Az gasped " Oooooh, you were doing nasty things as an egg too?"

She looked around, more children gathered around her, with a sigh she focused on the azure dragoness anew " Maybe I was just like that because my..." she thought for a bit"...parents were nasty"

Cynder twitched as she heard someone biting an apple "That's not true" she heard another childish male voice, she turned around just to see a cheetah cub chewing on an apple. Cynder licked her mouth and her belly rumbled with need again.

The moment he swallowed a piece of the apple the cub continued gesticulating with his paw just like a true scientist would " Eggs and children basically are a product of love"

Dot jerked back in surprise " Love? I love my parents and they don't seem to have any more children"

Cynder chuckled, oh the ignorance and naivety of youth

The cub took an another bite " That's not entirely the kind of love I'm talking about"

Az furrowed a brow " What do you mean by that Smarty?"

"You see" the feline child swallowed" When a boy likes a girl and I mean really likes her and she shares the same feelings towards him they eventually show that affliction just like our Mothers demonstrate their love to us. "

"You mean they KISS?!" the azure dragoness exclaimed

"Precisely"

Az looked at Dot while he looked back at her, both children curled their noses in abhorrence "Ewwwww!"

Cynder's eyes widened while she listened to the cub's deduction, as much as she was surprised about the way he talked, she couldn't stop smiling when she heard the other kids reaction.

Smarty cleared his throat " Boys differ from girls in more ways than just the tone of voice, we have specially designed parts of our body that allow us to procreate"

Black eye scratched his head " What means procreate?"

The cub took a deep breath " When you really like a girl you eventually get to the point when you make love. Procreation is the scientific definition of it, basically it means you are making a baby thanks to our different sexual organs"

" I don't see how can I use mine"

" You put it into hers, thrust to be more precise"

All of the children looked at the cub with wide eyes " That's disgusting!" every single one of them exclaimed

Smarty unconcerned by the sudden outburst took an another bite before giving Cynder an arrogant look " That's how you've been created and that's how you do it when you want children of your own"

She stared at him with her mouth slightly opened for a while before coughing, shaking off the shock" Yeah, thanks for the tip"

Cynder twitched when she felt a small paw running up her back until it stopped on her shoulder " Wow, these are cool" Cynder turned around " Did you make them yourself?" Dot asked clearly excited

She knew instantly that he was referring to her white markings " Maybe, I don't remember"

The azure dragoness eyes sparkled " Do they give any special powers?"

" None that I know of"

Az gasped and pointed her claw at Cynder's neck " It's so pretty, what is it?"

She followed her claw just to see it pointing at the silver necklace in the shape of a snake, Cynder raised the bauble to get a good look at it " It has nothing to do with beauty, this is a necklace that Malefor created"

" The Dark Master?!" Black eye exclaimed

Cynder nodded " The one and the same"

The cub gasped " What does it do? What does it do? "

" Now- nothing, thanks the Ancestors, but when Malefor was still in power it created a magical chain between me and Spyro, almost binding us together. We could stay only a few steps away from each other without the risk of choking"

" Ooooooh, can I have it please? Please? Please?"

Cynder frowned when she looked at the necklace, she would never give it to anyone even if it is powerless. " Even if I wanted to I can't, it maybe has no magic in it now but it's still unbreakable, I just can't get it off"

Dot frowned " Spyro can't be a prisoner he is too cool for that! I hope Malefor got what was coming to him!"

The children emitted a cry of joy after Dot's words, they must have been taught that he was very nasty as they call it. " Wish I knew how he was defeated, I bet Spyro used some super powers!" Cynder heard one of the kids yelling louder than the previous ones. The cubs words only intensified the shouting

" He di-" Cynder twitched as she felt a paw touching her tail

"I want a tail like that!. How do I get one?" Az exclaimed happily while rubbing her blade-like tip in awe

Cynder chuckled "You see to have one like that you have to use some super powers..." and Cynder replied to every single question heading her way. The kids curiosity was unquenchable, question after question was thrown her way but she didn't mind at least someone was willing to talk to her and it was enough to make her happy.

* * *

"Of course" the female cheetah in white shirt huffed

Spyro swallowed a piece of meat and raised an eyebrow ' _What is she up to now?'_ he wondered

" It must feel great to know that your actions saved millions of lives" she said and took a sip from her mug while watching him with a corner of her blue eye

" It's ok I guess"

"It's ok? That's it?" the feline focused entirely on him " You are a hero for them, you should be proud"

Spyro shrugged " I'm not and stop calling me a hero please, we were just lucky"

Her ears flinched " I see that you always use 'we' whenever you talk about it. Have it your way then but to them you are a savior and no matter what you say it won't change anything." A corner of her mouth turned into a smile " It must have some advantages"

Spyro sighed " I don't see any"

"Come on, girls must go crazy over you"

Spyro turned his head to a side while blushing " They... they...I mean I don't know"

She smiled slyly " Stop pretending, I'm sure you've noticed, they would surround you if you would show some initiative. I would do anything for my savior if you only asked, so what's stopping you?"

His scales turned even more red " I...I"

"Suit yourself" she slid back into her chair and took another sip from her mug " Do you have a mate?"

Spyro chuckled nervously " Me? No"

"What about her?" she nodded her head at the black dragoness while giving him a curious look

Spyro's eyes widened " You mean Cynder? We are friends"

"That's it? She's just your friend and nothing more?"

His eyes focused only on her black silhouette, she was there barely visible through the group of children that surrounded but that didn't prevent him from seeing her smiling. Spyro imagined he heard her laugh, oh how he liked to hear her laugh " No...no...we...we are just friends" he whispered

The corner of the feline's mouth turned into a charming smile while she shook her head slowly " Does she feel the same way about you?"

Spyro cocked his head slightly " What do you mean by that?"

" From the stories I've heard you were the one who saved her from corruption or even death. You were the one who always stood on her side even when most people distrusted her. And finally you are probably the only one who never said a wrong word about her, she's pretty hated around here if you didn't notice. If there was a guy who saved my life, who protected and always stood by my side as the only person in the whole world, I would surely developed some other feelings towards him than just simple friendship"

"Like what?"

"Love?"

Spyro jerked back in surprise "Love?! " he laughed nervously " You mean that Cynder loves me? That's insane! She's independent" he shook his head confidently " No, as I said, we are only friends"

" Whatever you say" with that she leaned back in her chair while taking a sip once again.

* * *

Cynder emitted a resigned sigh after she answered another question. She kept replying to every question thrown her way, she was doing it for quite a while but the children's curiosity was unending. Firstly she was the most interesting topic, the children asked about every detail of her life, also they were very curious about her silver bracelets. Secondly questions regarding Malefor were asked, about his life, army and especially about the battle in his lair but she could never answer this questions since the moment the fight was mentioned the kids started shouting and pretend to be Spyro, those guys were making even more noise than all the rest of the adult cheetahs combined. They even got to the point where she had to explain while the sun shines and why the sky is blue and not purple. As much as she liked it Cynder couldn't stand it any longer, she was tired and bored and she felt as she had enough company for all eternity.

"That's why flowers grow, right?" a female cheetah cub asked

Cynder sighed "Yes"

" Did you ever touched the sky? a different kid asked

"No"

" Did you catch a falling star?" another cub asked

"No"

" Did you see a flying cheetah?" a second female cub asked

Cynder sighed, she had enough, the kids will kill her. They are even worse than the hunger and she wondered if that was an another way to tease her, if so it was working. Cynder looked around hoping to find something to help her escape, her eyes widened when a thought ran through her mind the moment she looked at the unused plate. Her plan was cruel but she didn't had any other choice.

Cynder answered another question while she discretely grabbed the plate with her tail and hid it under the table. Clenching her teeth she ran her iron blade-like tail across its surface creating an annoying sound that caused a slight commotion between the children as they began shouting while covering their ears. Cynder had to repeat the move two more times before the children ran away screaming. With a victorious smile she placed the plate on the table and began staring at it. Who could have thought that she will miss the silence after all?

Cynder kept making little circles with her claw again until she felt something stopping next to her paw she looked at the object, it was a red apple. She picked up the fruit and looked at it, the rumbling in her stomach reawakened and it was so strong now that it almost hurt. Cynder moved her head closer to the fruit and closed her eyes as she prepared to savor its sweet juices.

"Give me back my apple!" a high familiar male shout reached her.

Cynder's eyes were slowly opening as her mind was brought to reality "Wha...Wha..." she mumbled incoherently

" GIVE ME BACK MY APPLE!" a loud squeaky and angry scream echoed throughout the room.

Her eyes snapped open just to see Smarty standing before her breathing heavily but that was not the only thing she found strange. The whole room went silent, Cynder impulsively started to look around and to her surprise every eye was focused on her and most of them weren't friendly. She giggled nervously "Look what I've found" she extended her paw towards the cub with the apple sitting on it. Cynder winced when Smarty snatched the fruit with a fast move, the cub took a bite, snorted angrily and walked away. She swallowed hard as she began to look around, almost all of the cheetahs gave her a threatening look but luckily all of them returned to their earlier occupation without causing any trouble.

Spyro leaned forwards to look at her with concern in his eyes, and as if feeling his gaze Cynder began to turn her head, the moment their eyes met she smiled shyly and shrugged. However their eyes didn't stare at each other for long as she craned her neck forward and upwards a couple of times as if she was trying to take a glimpse of something, eventually she did since Spyro saw her staring at something with her mouth slightly opened. He followed her gaze and noticed that she was staring at his plate with a large piece of meat on it, Spyro frowned and looked back at Cynder, as he did that he noticed that her plate was completely clean, it struck him then that she probably haven't eaten anything yet, her pleading eyes only confirmed this.

As the female cheetah said, Cynder is pretty hated around here so it had to be a plan of the other felines to leave her hungry throughout the dinner. Spyro wanted to get up and tell everyone what he thinks about this but he thought better of it, there is no sense in making this situation worse than it already is. He stood up, waited for the right moment when the cheetahs weren't looking his way and hid his plate under the table, he then impaled the meat on his gold tip, took a few steps back and extended his tail towards Cynder almost rubbing his female neighbor chair.

She figured out what he was up to instantly, just as she noticed him hiding the plate she already made a few steps back wagging her tail impatiently. As she noticed him extending his tail with a swift move of her own tip she impaled the meat and quickly returned to her position around the table, putting the meal on her plate she gave Spyro a grateful smile.

" I knew you had it in you" the female cheetah said seductively while touching his side with her ears flattened against her skull

"That's not...what you think it is" he mumbled when he sat down blushing as always

"Don't be so shy" she nuzzled him " So how about we go somewhere more private? she whispered ravishingly

"Listen that's-" he was cut off when her claws stung his side "I...I can't..."

" You may change your mind about this whole hero thing" he was straightening up as she kept stinging his scales down his side " After all you don't have a mate" she said the last part with a smug smile on her face

Cynder was enthralled by the sight before her eyes, the meat smelled wonderful and looked even better, and what a meat it was, it was a cooked piece of a chicken, it was huge even for her standards. She couldn't stand the smell any longer, the rumble in her stomach only confirmed it, licking her mouth she opened her maw widely and prepared to devour the food, however just as she was about to reach it she stopped. Cynder looked around, the cheetahs were still doing whatever they were doing while paying her no mind, she cleared her throat loudly gaining the attention of the nearby felines. They looked at her first with angry eyes but then their expressions revealed their surprise, quiet whispers began circling around the table as they wondered how she could get her paws on the food. Cynder smirked, they tried very hard to prevent her from eating but in the end they failed, not only she won the battle but also sowed doubt amongst them as they undoubtedly wondered who betrayed them.

Licking her mouth again she forgot about the cheetahs and focused on the meal before her. Cynder wolfed it down without caring for any kind of manners, she kept chewing and chewing until she finished with the meal in a couple of seconds, you never leave a carnivore hungry. Cynder emitted a happy sigh as she finally quenched the alarm in her belly, but she knew she couldn't have done it without help. With a blissful expression she turned her head to thank her savior once again, her heavenly look was gone instantly when she saw her hero. Cynder noticed Spyro sitting there stiff as a poker, it didn't take her long to figure out why, there was a female cheetah leaning close to his snout while moving her claws up and down his side.

Cynder's eyes flared up with fury, anger boiled in her, especially for the feline but there was still a portion that Spyro stirred since as far as she could tell he wasn't protesting. " You really like that don't you? I'll give you happy" she hissed furiously and began to get up, but then she thought better of it, she won't make a scene like a jealous girl.

" Jealous" the dragoness snorted, she is not jealous but protective.

Cynder decided to try a more subtle approach " Who wants to hear Spyro telling how he defeated The Dark Master?" she exclaimed loudly

She heard a cry of joy when every kid that was in the room screamed, the sound of someone mentioning the purple dragon's name and the slight commotion forced the feline to slip back into her chair. The female cheetah wondered who might have caused it even if something told her that she already knew the answer. She didn't have to look long for the culprit since a black dragoness was staring at her with fiery eyes.

The feline giggled "Cute" and took another sip from her mug while smiling

The children began to surround the Purple Dragon " Tell us Spyro! Please! Tell us!" every single one of them kept yelling the same words

" Yes Spyro! Tell us!" Cynder exclaimed frowning angrily

He looked around in horror, Spyro never saw so many kids around him, he never saw so many eyes staring at him " I don't know where-" he didn't finish the sentence as many small paws dragged him towards the center of the room. When he stopped the children released him and ran to the same spot so he can clearly see them before sitting on the ground in a crossed leg pose and focusing their young filled with anticipation eyes on him.

Spyro stared back at them, the children looked like they were expecting him to say something. That wasn't his only problem, even if he didn't see it he could feel that probably all the adult cheetahs were also watching him. Being in the centre of attention made him very nervous. "Maybe... maybe I'll start with explaining why we had to fight Malefor in the first place." he mumbled

He cleared his throat " M...Malefor was very powerful, as a purple dragon he could wield four elements, but to be able to master them he had to go through a very hard training. Days after days he trained, in the first day he practiced his fire element and if you all know fire is a very tricky element since mostly its fueled by anger and our impulsiveness. Did you know that fire is considered an evil element by some thanks to its destructive power?"

The children didn't answer, they still stared at him with the same eyes. Spyro continued while standing in the same spot completely still " In the second day he practiced Ice. I found out that Ice is a very comforting element, its cold and somewhat refreshing powers must be the reason. I always wondered why people consider Ice as a more friendlier element than Fire, I mean this element covers everything in...ice making everything die on spot, almost sucking the life out of it. It is just as destructive as Fire in my opinion but people consider it more friendly only because they identify flame with destruction because... well because it's fire. Curious right?

The children threw some puzzled glances between themselves and shifted just like the ground felt uncomfortable. Spyro didn't seem to notice it since he continued " In the third day he trained Earth, now this element..."

Some time has passed and Cynder couldn't believe what she was hearing and from the looks of it the children couldn't either since a part of them began silent conversations of their own while some other kids were yawning, that was not what they expected. She couldn't blame them, instead of hearing about the battle they got a talk about different elements. Instead of making a little show about the battle he was standing in the same spot completely still while lecturing the kids, Cynder knew that Spyro was very curious about many things and it made him happy to share his feelings with someone but for children uninterested in those kind of things that meant only boredom that could even lead to death if he continues. Then something struck her heart as she realized that this was all her fault, Cynder knew how he didn't like to be in the centre of attention, she knew how it made him uncomfortable, nobody can't blame Spyro that he tries to beat it clinging to his natural curiosity. Guilt filled her heart when she realized that she wanted to punish him for a stupid flirt, he is not her lover, he is not her mate he can do whatever he wants and she isn't in the place to prevent it. What kind of friend is she? The guilt only intensified when Cynder looked at her now dirty plate, he had helped her when she needed it, he was there when everyone else ignored her and she repaid him by throwing him in a situation he was afraid of. Cynder's eyes sparkled with determination, it is time to make things right.

Another yawn escaped the group of children as Spyro continued his 'story' "... unfortunately Malefor had an uncontrollable lust for power that made him-"

"Evil and corrupted!" Cynder exclaimed when she jumped out from the ground in front of him, spreading her wings and showing many pointy teeth as she craned her neck closer to the group of kids, every single one of them arched backwards and gasped in horror

Spyro watched her with a confused look, when she turned around and noticed it she gave him a charming smile and winked " He was unstoppable, with almost all the power in the world within him Malefor felt he could control everything, felt he could destroy everything" Cynder said while she kept walking towards the table dragging a shadow behind her that made all of the children gasp in awe.

With a swift move she jumped on the table, raised on her hind legs, spread her black wings while creating a large shadow on the wall behind her that darkened the whole room " I AM INDESTRUCTIBLE!" Cynder roared with as low tone as she could muster to at least sound a bit manly

Some of the children covered their faces with their hands, some shivered with fear while some other stared at her with their mouths opened. A corner of Cynder's mouth twitched into a smile when she noticed their reaction. She began slowly walking back and forth on the table wagging her tail in an almost mocking manner " I can have everything I want, I can destroy everything I want and there is nobody WHO CAN STOP ME!" she roared once again while throwing Spyro a quick glance

He just stood there staring at her completely dumbfounded. Seeing his expression Cynder continued " I will destroy this WORLD!" she roared again " Is there anyone who can stop me?" she breathed a little gust of wind towards the kids making them shiver while quickly dashing towards them making the children gasp in fear " Nobody?" Cynder looked into every cub's eyes smiling mischievously, all of them averted their gaze quickly.

Cynder turned around and as she did so she threw Spyro a meaningful look as she noticed his still confused expression. In a couple of seconds Cynder was back on the table " I'll ask again" she raised on her hind legs and roared " IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN STOP ME?"

Spyro frowned as he realized what she's up to " I can" he said confidently

Cynder smiled charmingly for a brief moment before adopting the previously evil look "You?" she laughed mockingly " And just who do you think you are?"

He took a few steps towards her "My name is Spyro and I'm here to stop you"

Cynder cocked her head " So you are the one the prophecies spoke of" she looked him over " You don't look very impressive, just what can you do exactly?"

Spyro concentrated and an insubstantial shape of a boulder formed around him " I'm prepared for any surprises"

Cynder laughed menacingly "This is supposed to scare me? But I see you are serious so I accept your challenge however we will fight on my terms. Face me in my lair if you dare" with that Cynder dragged a shadow just below the table so the moment she jumped from it she vanished into the shadow just like it was some sort of a hole.

Spyro turned around and saw that every child was staring at him, following his every move. With his head up high he began slowly walking forward " To reach The Dark Master's hideout I had to defeat many enemies and cross almost impassable barriers but eventually I reached my destination. I arrived at Malefor's lair knowing that a difficult fight awaits me" with that he stopped moving.

A shadow covered the floor in front of him and soon after Cynder jumped out of it much to the kids surprise. She caught adopting the best low tone of voice she could manage " We meet again Spyro but this time I won't be so nice"

" You will pay for your crimes Malefor!" Spyro exclaimed angrily

"We will see about that" Cynder hissed threateningly

Spyro lowered his head and charged, delicately of course, Cynder dodged his attack with ease by stepping sideways. The moment his back was facing her she breathed a tiny ball of dark flame that looked like a fireball but in fact it was Shadow Fire. Spyro blocked the attack with his wing and immediately released a very small earth missile. Cynder pretended to be surprised as she allowed the bolt to strike her, she swayed on her paws and roared angrily after the impact.

With a faked fury Cynder charged him while deflecting with her wing another missile. When she was close enough she jumped on Spyro making them both roll on the ground much to pleasure of the gathered children. Some of them were more curious than the others, they stood up instantly to have a good look on the ongoing battle while chanting Spyro's name.

Spyro and Cynder struggled while standing pretending to exchange blows, one of those blows threw Spyro onto the ground with a groan of faked pain, with her looming over him. Cynder roared and made a move with her paw just like she wanted to thrust her claws in his underbelly. The children held their breaths as her black paw was descending upon Spyro. She was moving slow, so he waited as her claws will be right near him before rolling on the ground to a side avoiding the usually deadly strike. The kids screamed in joy when Cynder's claws hit only the wooden floor, with renewed determination they began chanting the purple dragon name once more.

Spyro quickly got up and swung his tail sending barely noticeable icy sparks from his gold tip. Cynder allowed the tail to reach her. The strike was pitifully powered so instead of leaving a painful cold dash on her chest, it created a cooling and enjoyable frost mark on her magenta scales, but she couldn't focus on this pleasant sensation, she had a role to play.

Cynder placed a paw on her chest just like she tried to stop the bleeding before taking a couple of shaky steps backwards while loudly groaning with pain. Cynder lowered her paw to look at it uncovering the icy mark on her chest that made all the children yell happily.

"You will pay for this!" Cynder roared and charged.

They kept exchanging blows. Claws, wings and tails were being used in this game with very weak elemental strikes as an addition. The children didn't mind however, this was enough to set their imagination in motion. For them this was a real battle between Spyro and Malefor and they were a part of since they cheered whenever Spyro struck Cynder while groaning and shouting angrily when it was the other way around.

"You can't stop me, I will destroy this world!" Cynder shouted after some time while panting heavily pretending to be wounded and tired

"You won't because it's time to finish this" Spyro growled.

Cynder roared and raised on her hind legs spreading her wings and covering the ground below her in shadow. The children held their breaths again when they saw the scary image. Spyro didn't even flinch just like any hero would, focusing he used his electricity element by directing a weak shock pulse at her chest. The kids gasped when it struck Cynder, her eyes widened as she placed a paw on her chest just like she tried to grab her own heart while spinning around on her hind legs, she made only a single turn before falling on her back. She laid there with her head slightly moved to the side and her tongue hanging from her mouth. It was over, Malefor was defeated.

The children stared at her for a while in complete shock before slowly turning their heads in the same time to look at Spyro. The moment the kids set their eyes upon him they jumped from the ground screaming loudly as they began to surround him. Spyro was greeted with words of admiration like "Wow! You are awesome!"," Spyro you are a real hero!", " I must say that it was a very interesting spectacle" and questions like " Was Malefor really a girl?", " Can I be a purple dragon too?", " To be able to wield so much power must be exhilarating , to be a master it is required to spend tremendous amounts of energy on improving your abilities. Correct?"

Spyro's eyes traveled from kid to kid as he was bombarded with questions, the moment he tried to answer to one of the kids another curious child spoke making him only gasp faintly as his head moved from side to side. The children were making quite a noise successfully blocking every other sound. It took a while but eventually Spyro could hear a noise that sounded like many clapping hands.

Cynder opened one of her eyes just to stand up moments later, with clear surprise on her snout she made her way towards Spyro and the now silent group of children. Both dragons looked around completely speechless when they noticed every single cheetah clapping their hands, it seems they appreciated their effort to entertain their children. From the group emerged Meadow walking slowly towards them, clapping his hands and smiling from ear to ear.

" Now that was quite a story, everyone's happy?" the cheetah warrior said while giving the children a quick glance. With a loud cry of joy all of the kids confirmed that it was a very satisfying show, they were completely lost in their happiness so it took them a moment to start jumping all around Spyro and Cynder again.

Meadow chuckled " Now, now I know how much you would like to get to know them better, but remember children that everyone needs a break, even heroes and villains" Seeing that the children were stepping back Meadow waved for both dragons to follow him.

They returned to the table, Spyro sat in the same spot while Cynder was granted a seat next to Meadow judging from the look on her snout she didn't expect it. The children scattered all around the table, returning to their parents.

" Pleasing such a demanding crowd is no simple feat, I'm sure it will open the eyes of some sceptical cheetahs, maybe they will finally realize that Dragons aren't as bad as many think so." Meadow said with a smile while carefully eyeing both young dragons

"We were happy to help" Cynder returned the smile

"My, my "the female cheetah in white shirt stated with a tone full of awe "Not only good looking and powerful but also has a knack with children. Who would have thought so"

" I wouldn't make it if not for Cynder" Spyro replied

She shrugged "Perhaps but that doesn't matter" She smiled slyly " Many girls will be impressed"

_"There she goes again" _he thought to himself. He had no experience but probably some other males would be glad for such attention, but he wasn't one of them, her constant advances made him uncomfortable. As much as he hated it he had to do it, it was time to tell her that this won't work Spyro had difficulties whenever it came to declining other people offers whatever they may be, since most of these situations ended with the other side being offended. Spyro sighed, he will push her away but there was no other way"

"Listen-"

Meadow slapped his forehead cutting Spyro off " Where are my manners. I almost forgot about our deal" he waved for the children to come closer

Spyro took a deep breath " "Listen there is something we need to talk about"

"Yessss?" she smiled seductively

" I thought about it and decided that this has to-"

Spyro was cut off by Meadow once again " I think children that it is your turn to entertain our guests now"

Spyro focused anew " As I was saying, I'm sorry but his-"

" Tell us the story about Avalar"

The female cheetah's ears flinched but that didn't prevent Spyro from continuing " This has to-"

"Shhhhhh" she quieted him

"But-"

"Yes I know, now be silent" with that she leaned over the table just to be closer to the group of children leaving Spyro with a dumbfounded look behind her.

Dot cleared his throat " A long, long time ago there were cheetahs just like now, but they've spoken in that funny language-"

"Ancient" Smarty retorted

"Yeah ancient, they walked, eat and talked but they were no cheetahs, I mean they were but they not normal-"

Smarty sighed " What he's trying to say is that there were cheetahs walking upon this earth, however they were no ordinary cheetahs like you and me, they were blessed"

Dot frowned "Hey cut it out, I'm telling the story!" he exclaimed before clearing his throat " The Blessed Ones looked like normal cheetahs but someone once told me that it was possible to know which of the cheetahs was Blessed but now we won't notice the difference because we are stupid"

" Not stupid but ignorant"

Dot shrugged "Whatever, anyway it is said that these cheetahs could do magic! Now only our druids or hermits or how else you call those old guys with staffs can do magic. But the Blessed could shoot sparks from their hands just like that, no staff and raspy voice needed! They had super powers!"

Smarty shook his head " It has nothing to do with super powers. Back there magic was a part of one's existence, magic was nothing extraordinary for the Blessed just like lungs are nothing special for us lesser beings. I have a thesis that they were granted this gift from birth, the real questions is why and who gave it to them?"

"That sucks! Super powers are way better!" Dot protested

Black eye didn't hesitate when he smelled his occasion to take a part in this story telling " The Blessed were powerful but that didn't prevent their enemies from attacking them! The battles were messy, blood and heads were flying everywhere while-"

" Spare us the details please" Meadow admonished the cub smiling kindly

"Sorry! Anyway the battles were pretty messy but The Blessed kept fighting and fighting killing many, many enemies but the bad guys cheated and kept killing the good guys, because there was no chance they could kill a guy with super powers!"

Smarty frowned " I've already stated that this has nothing to do with super powers" regaining his composure he continued " The Blessed fought valiantly cutting through enemy ranks with ease, however the enemy had numbers while there was only a handful of The Blessed. The opponent just wore them about before overwhelming them completely, it has nothing to do with cheating. A simple war tactic triumphed, nothing more, nothing less"

"I still think they cheated!" Black eye cleared his throat "The bad guys were winning destroying and killing everything in their way that's why The Blessed decided to save us before the enemy wiped out the whole cheetahs race! They would have impaled our heads on sticks! And take our eyes! And-"

Meadow coughed silencing the boy instantly

Smarty sighed " Unfortunately The Blessed were losing and there was no chance they could defeat their enemies using conventional means, they had to make a sacrifice."

" One of those Blessed was Avalar" Dot took the lead " We only know about him, the rest must have died, anyway it was up to him to stop the invasion. So he found the tallest hill, made it to the top before using his super powers to save us all!"

Smarty cleared his throat " Avalar was the last Blessed One, however I think there were some others but we just don't know about them, but I digress. Avalar reached the top of the tallest hill for a reason, he felt betrayed. The moment he reached its steep top he screamed to the sky so the wind could carry his voice throughout the whole land-"

"He did that to get the attention of his creators, he blamed them for his power, he didn't understand why they gave him magic when he can't defeat his enemies with it. Avalar wanted to save our race so he asked the creators to help him and BAM! he was a tree"

"Close" Smarty frowned " He went up that hill to blame his creators for everything, he didn't understand why they bestowed on him the gift of magic when he can't use it to defeat his enemies. He asked them for help, he wanted to serve his land and his people, he wanted to give us a cause to fight on, he wanted to save us from a gruesome fate, he wanted to watch over us for all eternity. Whoever made Avalar granted him his wish by turning him into a tree. The hunk was created using his inner strength, enemies became the leaves, the long thick roots reassembled the tiresome path he had to undertake, the lianas were created from his wild emotions."

"Yeah!" Black eye exclaimed " He stands there to this day, arched from that hill always watching and serving us and the land since he is a tree and trees make air!"

Smarty nodded "Avalar became a symbol, the tables have turned back then and we knew who gave us this luck. But we have to remember that there is always a difficult path of us, that one has to use all his energy to hold back the crown, that the destination to reach our goal is ever-changing just like lianas blown by the wind. However as long as the tree stands there we know that somebody is watching over us and that we have a future ahead of us."

"The end!" the children exclaimed simultaneously

"Wow, I never knew about that, this is one hell of a history" Cynder said with a clearly admiring tone

"Is it really true?" Spyro asked excited about this whole thing

Meadow shrugged " Who knows, you have your Ancestors we have ours and just like dragons cheetahs are quite devoted. It is kept in secret that's why you never heard of it because this is a very important symbol for us as you have already heard. That's why we named the tree The Fortune, as long as it stands we know that no matter how dire the situation looks we will prevail."

Spyro noticed the female cheetah sliding back into her chair " What do you think about this? You believe it?"

She threw him a quick glance before taking a sip from her mug, lost in focus " There is always some truth in fairy tales I guess"

The dinner was nearing its end, they all drank, ate and chattered before there was nothing left on the table and some of the cheetahs left the room to go on about their business. Most of them stayed, cleaning the table and the dishes, Spyro and Cynder helped them in any way they could, they were invited here so it was just a gesture of politeness to help their hosts. It took them a while but everything was cleaned eventually and they were ready to be on their way.

" Thank you for the invitation Meadow, but we best be on our way" Spyro gave the cheetah a grateful look

" Spyro didn't give any sign of life for a while I'm sure they are going crazy in Warfang" Cynder smiled wryly

" You won't mind if I come with you?" Meadow asked while rearranging the falcon feather on his robe with great scrupulousness " I need to take care of something there"

" Sure, come on" with that Spyro lead the way.

Just before they reached the exit Spyro noticed the female cheetah standing in the corner watching him closely " You two go on I will catch up with you later" with that he made his way towards the feline. Cynder shot him a quick glance just to focus on the female cheetah for a brief second, with a sigh and her head hanging low she continued towards the exit.

" Best of luck to you hero" she gave him a charming smile when he got close

" Likewise" they stared at each other for a while in complete silence, with only smiles plastered on their faces " You know I've never got your name"

Her sapphire eyes sparkled " They call me Hope"

"it was a pleasure to meet you Hope, but still this is an unusual name for a cheetah. No offense"

She shrugged still smiling " Name like any other"

Spyro looked at the window and saw Cynder and Meadow standing near the building waiting for him " I better be going, until we meet again"

A cagey smile appeared on Hope's face " Careful what you wish for" she chuckled and waved him off as he made his way towards the exit.

Still in a sunny weather they made their way towards the wooden gate, the guards wished them a safe journey before closing the gate behind them. They continued onwards leaving the pretty abandoned village behind their tails, fully concentrating on reaching The Forbidden Tunnel since it's the shortest way to reach their goal. Just beyond it Warfang awaits.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They walked along the road that led out of the village, their pace was slow but filled with the sound of happy chatter, every now and then they stopped for a quick break, after all there is no rush, it's not like the city is going to vanish. They continued down the road until they've noticed a base of a mountain coming into view, the sun illuminated its jagged structure with a bright light.

Near the base just at the brink of the road many trees were growing on a greenish ground, they stood next to each other forming a quite dense twiggy barrier. However the sight won't drive away a traveler who knows what he is looking for, Meadow took the lead and made his way towards the thick obstacle with the two dragons closely following him, the cheetah pushed away the more annoying twigs from his way while he ventured forward.

After a while they were reminded that the thick some might say impassable barrier of tress is just an illusion for all those clueless travelers. Soon they emerged right into a quite empty piece of greenish ground with trees standing at both sides leaving only the middle for a comfortable walk, just like it was some sort of a path.

Road or not the empty space was quite big allowing even a fully grown adult dragon to pass through freely without worrying about the many thick branches scratching his scales. They made their way down the greenish piece of land until there was nothing left in front of them besides the base of the mountain with many different sized stones protruding from it and even more smaller rocks laying on the ground near the base.

The small group made its way alongside the mountain until they reached a wall from which two almost triangular stones protruded leaving a quite big jagged space between them. For an inexperienced and lucky traveler this would just be a common wall with nothing interesting on it, it was quite the contrary for the three of them. Meadow slid his paw across the wall's surface for a couple of seconds before he pressed his paw against the wall, muttered something in a strange language under his breath that were most likely some magical incantations before he took a couple of steps backwards.

Firstly nothing happened but after a while a rumbling sound could be heard accompanied by a noise that sounded like stone grinding on stone, while the wall began to shake slightly. Moments later a shape in a form of the nose emerged from the rocky wall, soon after eyes showed themselves, mouth and two horns. Out of the wall emerged quite a big rocky dragon snout which stared at them with its empty eyes.

They stood near the entrance to The Forbidden Tunnel, both dragons remembered when they saw this scene for the first time, just like now they arrived here from the cheetah village but back then the rocky snout startled both young drakes before trigging Spyro's curiosity. It was then when they found out about the Tunnel's purpose, it served as an escape passage from Warfang if things would go poorly for the city during a siege. However the entrance to it was located not far from the familiar cheetah village, one could notice the smoke coming out from one of the chimneys if the dragon snout wouldn't focus all the attention.

The relation between Cheetahs and Dragons wasn't really very good that's why the Tunnel's entrance was created near the village closest to Warfang so when things would go drastic for the cheetahs they could evacuate their people to the Dragon City, hence the huge salon in the village, the survivors had to be accommodated somewhere before the evacuation. This whole thing strengthened the bond between the two races. To avoid abusing of the Tunnel only a chosen few could open it. Meadow, Prowlus and a single Chief from every other cheetah tribe could open it, as for the Dragons only the Guardians had the power to command the door. It was done on purpose, to save all the innocent people at least one of the leaders from both races had to live so he could open the door, preventing both species from becoming leaderless, a key to survive during a war.

Meadow placed his paw on the rocky snout's nose, he closed his eyes and lowered his head before chanting another magical incantation. Moments later the snout's eyes flared up with a red light, Meadow took a couple of steps backwards as another rumbling sound could be heard. The snout began opening its maw, it looked like it was pulling in the stone itself, soon the wall was gone together with the snout revealing the entrance to the Tunnel.

The moment they've entered everything went dark instantly as the stone wall formed itself behind them. The darkness didn't last for long since moments later a torch hanging on the wall just next to the entrance ignited itself, soon another one on the opposite side did the same thing, and that was only the beginning. Soon another torch lit itself just next to the previous one, another followed soon after, then another and another, it didn't take long before all the torches on the wall were burning, they formed some kind of a circle surrounding the whole interior. Just after every torch was lit on the wall a couple of columns which were facing each other showed themselves in front of them, and just like the wall they had a torch on them that began igniting itself until the light from the flames illuminated the path in front of them and revealed a stone wall on the far end of the Tunnel.

They were standing on a quite wide marble bridge that span over a huge chasm with a familiar stone wall on the other end of the bridge. How deep the chasm was nobody knows and honestly no one ever cared to find out, but judging from the complete darkness below it was quite a fall. The Tunnel is pretty vast and empty, only distant walls surrounded the bridge with torches and some barely noticeable carvings depicting what looked like dragons. The bridge they were standing on was pretty clean with only some pairs of columns standing on the opposite sides of it. The bridge was obviously created by the Moles, since only they are capable of doing something that requires a good technical mind. Moles weren't working alone, this place was also created using magic, the rocky snout's proved that, together with the marble bridge which ran over the chasm with no visible support preventing it from falling down, it seemed like the bridge levitated in the air with magic holding it in place. The self igniting torches also served as a good example, it was hard to decide what contributed more to the Tunnel's construction.

The group didn't really care about such things since they began moving forward the moment the light illuminated the path ahead of them. Shallow breaths and the clicking of claws on the marble floor were the only sound which could be heard in the Tunnel.

Meadow chuckled " Whenever I use this tunnel I always recall how difficult it was for me to convince Prowlus to teach me the magical incantation. He always turned me away until one day I fell on my knees in the centre of the village begging him to teach me his little secret and I did it in front of the whole village. He had no other choice, with all the eyes focused on him he finally whispered the words. I'll never forget the look on his face"

" I bet he really was a thorn in your side after that" Cynder added

The cheetah chuckled once again " You can't even imagine. _You want to be a leader? I'll make you one_. He said. You may say many bad things about him but he keeps his word. Every night I've spent on improving my skills with a spear. The lessons were so intense that sometimes I've felt asleep leaning against my weapon and every time I did that he woke me up using a bucket of cold water_. A leader never surrenders he is the first on the battlefield and the last one to leave it_. Prowlus always repeated this words whenever my senses returned to me"

Spyro sighed sadly just like he remembered not a very pleasant memory " It really reminds me of my training session with Ignitus, I couldn't rest either"

Meadow nodded " It was difficult but it paid off in the end. Every time a new day dawned I tried to convince myself that it won't be so bad, every single time I was wrong. _A leader never rests, he is always available for his people_. He greeted me with those words the moment the first sun rays reached the ground. Every single day I've been walking around the village with Prowlus asking the people if they need anything. I had to take down a child's toy from a huge tree, some other time I had to clean every single house on my path and let's just say that they were far from clean. Of course that's not everything but I don't want to bore you with the details"

" How long has he been torturing you?" Cynder's voice reached him.

The cheetah shrugged with a smile on his face " After some time I've stopped counting but it has been some very long months" the cheetah chuckled " It would be even longer if not for a friend of mine who had a gift of persuasion. Dale was his name, took him a while but eventually he convinced Prowlus that a leader must have also the ability to help his people in more ways that just simple fighting . He was an alchemist you see, and he taught me some of it, but I don't have a knack for it so one day I've been brewing a potion that I thought was a healing potion but it turned out to be nothing more than some volatile and extremely flammable substance. I've been doing the experiments in Prowlus' house so you can guess his reaction when he saw his burnt down home"

Cynder smirked " Serves him right"

Meadow smiled cagily " He would disagree with you" he coughed " After that accident my training sessions were over since I was more trouble than it was worth. As for Dale... well he got kicked out from the village so he could experiment away from civilization, I wonder how is he doing" Suddenly Meadow stopped in his tracks " Wait a minute, did you meet him by any chance?"

Both dragons shook their heads " Sorry but we didn't meet anyone named Dale" Spyro said

"Are you sure?"

"Yep"

" He lives in a cave near The Fortune, he usually walks around wearing a green coat. I haven't seen him for a while and I'm wondering if he still lives in that cave". Both dragons looked at each other with shock filled eyes, it didn't escape Meadow's notice as he furrowed a brow when he saw their reaction " You look troubled, what's the matter?"

Cynder scratched the back of her head " Ummmm there might be a problem with the living part"

" You want to say that he left that cave?"

She shook her head " No, no, he's still there... sort of"

Meadow's eyes narrowed " Cynder what do you mean by that?"

She looked him directly into the eyes " I killed him"

"YOU WHAT?!" the cheetah exclaimed, the sound of his voice echoed throughout the tunnel

" Meadow he attacked us!" Spyro exclaimed " He wanted to kill me, it was self defense"

" The Dale I knew wouldn't hurt a fly! Alchemy was his only obsession" he clenched his fists in anger

Spyro lowered his head " I'm sorry Meadow so very sorry but he gave us no choice, I wish there was another way, I really do" his voice was filled with genuine sadness

The cheetah watched the dragon and Meadow could tell that he was feeling regret. Impulsively he unclenched his fists, his anger was beginning to fade just by staring at him only to be replaced by sincere compassion " I know Spyro I'm sure you did everything you could" he uttered before throwing Cynder a quick glance

She narrowed her eyes " You won't get any apology from me, he tried to hurt Spyro so I killed him and I would do it again without hesitation"

" Cynder" Spyro hissed

Meadow waved his hand in a comforting manner " It's okay, I respect honesty and as a warrior I understand your motives, after all it's our sacred duty to protect our friends and loved ones" He sighed " To tell you the truth Dale has been acting really weird, I visited him some weeks ago just to see him talking to himself before he noticed me."

Spyro nodded sadly " Yeah... he was already like that when we met him. Any idea why he acted like this?"

" Years of solitude had to take their toll eventually, not to mention magic"

Spyro jerked back in surprise "Magic? What has magic to do with anything?

Meadow scratched his chin " Magic is as dangerous as it is beautiful, if you are unprepared you can't cope with its power. We cheetahs aren't born with your elemental energy so we are unprepared to withstand the energy the magic unleashes whenever you cast a spell. Hermits aren't born crazy, they are just the fruit of the magic's side effects."

" You want to say that everyone who has magic powers becomes crazy in the end?"

The cheetah shook his head " Not necessarily. I've met many hermits and every one of them showed different symptoms like dementia, exhaustion, insomnia..."

Spyro frowned " Hallucinations?"

" Among other things" Meadow narrowed his eyes " Spyro is everything alright? You look troubled"

" I'm fine, it's just that...I mean..." he sighed " No it's not alright. Lately I've been seeing things that couldn't be there, they felt so real but they turned out to be hallucinations. I'm not the only one who experienced this, Cynder has the same problem"

Meadow remained silent for a moment while scratching his chin thoughtfully " I'm no expert but I wouldn't worry about that"

" Not to worry?" Cynder blurt out incredulously " We are going crazy and you say it's ok?"

" You are not going crazy don't worry" he gave the dragons a reassuring smile "As I said you have elemental energy running in your veins meaning that you have a natural resistance to the magic's destructive influence. However I think that it doesn't protect you fully, Spyro I don't know what you did to save our world but I suspect that it had to be some powerful display of magical power and the moment it was unleashed you were caught in its radius. I believe that this power broke your resistance causing you this minor inconvenience, you just need some rest."

Cynder remained unconvinced " You think that a simple rest will solve our problems?"

" You wouldn't believe what tricks a tired mind can play on you, give it some time to adjust and I'm sure everything will return to normal."

Cynder shrugged after a brief pause" Maybe you are right"

Meadow smiled and renewed his walk" There is nothing to worry about" he said confidently

Both dragons followed him, as they walked the Tunnel was filled with the sound of ongoing conversation. They've kept joking and talking as if trying to discard all the bad revelationsa until they reached the stone wall on the other end of the marble bridge. Just like previously Meadow placed a paw on the wall and began chanting the same magical words and just like previously the stone wall disappeared, this time however the sound of a fully awakened city reached them.

Warfang also known as the Dragon City is a city that had been built by the Moles in honor of their friendship with the dragons, before Malefor, Dragons were quite revered. The first thing that catches the visitor's eyes are the many landmarks including many dragon statues and an extremely powerful cannon in the shape of a dragon head on Warfang's front wall. Despite its name there are not many dragons living here, the city is mostly populated by the Moles.

Warfang is a three leveled city, the levels are connected by many stairs that run through different alleyways. The Dragon City is constructed purely from brownstone, the buildings are huge so they can house even the largest of dragons. Tall and sturdy watchtowers with a circular dome dotted the city. Some of them stand between many different buildings while the others are a part of the wall. The watchtower's top is quite wide allowing a dragon of considerable size to fit so he or she can hurl fireballs at incoming enemies from above. If there is no drake around he or she can be easily replaced by moles with different war machines in their hands.

The north end of the city is protected by a natural tall mountainside while the other parts are surrounded by extremely thick brownstone wall, it would have to take some very well placed catapult shots to breach through its layers. Since dragons don't need doors to leave the city, the Moles constructed only a single gate at the front wall. Just like the city the gate was created using thick layers of stone with a dragon head with its mouth widely opened shaped in the middle. Instead of teeth the head had three pairs of rims inside its mouth, just at the edges of the gate were three long iron bolts held in the rims of their own. During a siege the bolts are pulled inside the rims in the dragon's head mouth, the moment they are locked in place its maw closes trapping the bolts and reinforcing the gate at the same time, a battering ram would need some additional time to break it down.

In front of the gate was a marble circle created with patches of green grass on its edges, inside the ring on the stone a pair of draconic wings was shaped so the visitors could be reminded where they arrived. Through the whole city in specially created cavities ran streams of crystal clear water from the fountains that were located throughout the city. It didn't only please the eye but also allowed the patches of green ground, flowers and trees thrive in the usually crowded and stony city.

The lowest level of Warfang consisted of a single marketplace to which almost every possible stairs led. The marketplace was located between the gate and the Forbidden Tunnel so the trading caravans can reach it quickly when they pass through the front gate and if during a siege arrive in Warfang by the secret passage so the supplies could be distributed quickly throughout the city. There wouldn't be much use for a marketplace if not for the many workshops constructed here which supply it with their wares. Most of the houses were located on this level with some guard posts every now and then to ensure safety.

By crossing the marble paths and climbing some stairs the traveler arrived on Warfang's second level. Just like on the first one there were plenty houses here with guard posts placed all around this floor. This level held a bit more important buildings for the inhabitants than simple workshops. One could discern a hospital with an empty bed and a red potion next to it shaped just above the hospital's entrance so the people won't take it for something else.

In the centre of the level was a fountain resembling a coiled form of a dragon with water flowing down from its opened mouth. The water fell into a cavity surrounded by marble floor and flowed in every direction through many other smaller canals . On the right side of the fountain a road lead to the already mentioned hospital surrounded by many common buildings with one more larger and wider than all the others which seemed to be connected with the hospital, some dragon statues stood on the path to the hospital. On the north end stairs to the last level could be seen, while to the left stood another important building for the residents.

It was a huge temple with two extremely big towers on the opposite sides of the building. A red triangular roof covered the entire temple with a large white statue standing in the center just right between the two towers which resembled an adult dragon standing on his hind legs with his wings opened and balls of flame formed from his moved to the side opened front paws. A very clean marble path lead to the temple which was surrounded by fresh green grass with many trees rooted into the ground which granted a shadow over any traveler or pilgrim walking down the marble floor. For the more devoted people living here this temple was even more important than the buildings located on the last level.

The first thing that caught the eye of everyone who arrived on the third level of the Dragon City was an extremely wide, tall, basically huge building, both ends of the building started to create some sort of an arch. The entire structure was dotted with many windows which only meant that there are rooms to house guests located inside the structure and judging from the balconies they had quite a good look at the city. This building was a City Hall where the Guardians held meetings and solved Warfang's daily problems. The right arch of the City Hall was connected with the larger building near the hospital. The other end wasn't connected with anything , it ended just mere inches from an another building. The other building was nothing more that the main Guard post or barracks as it was called by some people. Whatever its name is the building is a place of meeting for the guards and their captains on duty and a resting place for those who have a break. It also contained some cells for the more troublesome inhabitants. Warfang is truly a magnificent creation, with its thick walls, houses, fountains and green patches of land it invited people to live in it.

However this is how the city looked like in the past, now it's devastated. The tall watchtowers collapsed blocking off entire stairs and alleyways with rubble filling the streets. Roofs and walls of the many houses had big holes in them, some had slight cracks while the other homes were completely razed to the ground. The wall surrounding the city was slightly damaged in some places while almost completely destroyed in others, however no sign of a breach could be seen. The gate took a solid beating, even if it was pure stone the gate was almost tore off from its holding place. In some places there were holes in the ground surrounded by some tall poles to prevent anyone from falling down while repairs are being done. Even the buildings on the upper levels weren't left undamaged.

Spyro and Cynder's first visit to Warfang was far from pleasant, the moment they arrived from the Forbidden Tunnel they found the city under attack. Massive forces of The Dark Army laid siege on Warfang, breaking the walls and knocking at the front gate with their battering rams and trolls. It was a very bloody siege, the enemy unable to break through the wall used ladders and siege towers to gain control of the ramparts, the allied Realm forces held tightly even if they were under fire from the enemy catapults and flying creatures. After some time the allied forces managed to push the Dark Army from Warfang's wall making the enemy to fall back much to their surprise.

As it turned out it was only a slight pause to catch a breath since a Golem emerged from behind the enemy ranks. It was a giant lava monster that headed straight at Warfang's wall, just when it was about to reach it the creature burrowed underground just to emerge right in the city tearing down a wall as it did so. The breach allowed the Dark Army to pass through while the Golem itself rained havoc by hitting every possible building inside the city and killing swiftly every defender that came to close.

The battle was fierce, with the allied forces occupied with holding out the Dark Army from advancing farther into the city it was up to the dragons to stop the Golem. The drakes attacked the monster with all their strength but it still managed to try to end Spyro's and Cynder's life, it was then when the Guardians defended both young dragons from the Golem but were soon defeated. However Ignitus showed Spyro and Cynder a small bump on the Golem's head by breathing fire on it, indicating that the main dark crystal that controls the monster is hidden underneath. Spyro and Cynder tore the bump off and destroyed the crystal inside. With the dark crystal destroyed, the Golem died and hit the ground, blocking the breach in the wall as a result.

With the Golem and their war machines destroyed the Dark Army retreated, leaving Warfang to its fate. The siege, constant bombarding, the Golem, not to mention the earth splitting damage left the Dragon City in ruins. But the Realm forces didn't worry about that, the walls can be reinforced, the buildings rebuilt but the lives that would be lost if they had failed couldn't be given back.

As the group emerged from the Tunnel's entrance which was covered by the same two stones first thing that caught their attention was how this part of the city was left defenseless, no wonder since the siege was over and The Dark Master defeated. Another thing was the sound of constant shouting, talking, rumbling of stones and some strange sounds the odd machines which were created by the Moles made as they helped carry some bigger boulders to places where even a dragon could have difficulties reach. No one was paying them any mind as every soul that walked down the pretty destroyed streets was entirely focused on repairing the damage. A cheetah pushing a cart with debris could be seen there, a mole operating one of the cranes here, some other cheetahs and moles walking on the many scaffoldings accompanied by the ringing sound of a hammer hitting a stone wall. A dragon with a pole strapped to his back with two big buckets hanging from both sides of his body that were filled with rocks walked slowly through the streets. Now they know why Meadow ordered the cheetah warriors from his village to remain in Warfang, the city is being rebuilt and the moles and dragons need all the help they can get.

As they walked down one of the streets they reached a structure formed like an archway, a mole was walking carrying some stones towards them constantly looking around for any sign of debris. The clicking sound of claws gained his attention as he turned his head to see who is the creator of that noise. The moment the mole set his eyes upon the group he froze and dropped all the stones on the ground which created a rumbling sound the moment they hit the floor. He rubbed the goggles which he wore on his long nose just like he tried to make sure he isn't seeing things.

Spyro smiled and prepared to greet the mole but the moment he opened his mouth the little rodent made a quick turn and ran deeper into the city screaming "HE'S BACK!, HE'S BACK!"

Cynder smiled sarcastically " I guess they are happy to see you Meadow"

The cheetah chuckled " That would be something" he coughed " Anyway I won't hold you any longer, I have some business to attend to. See you and good luck" with that he exchanged meaningful smiles with Cynder and slightly bowed his head in a goodbye manner before making his way towards one of the other streets.

Both dragons continued onwards passing under the archway, surprisingly everything went silent, no footsteps could be heard, no hammers hitting the stony walls, no shouts, even the strange machines the moles were using stopped moving, it looked like the whole city froze in place. The young dragons continued their slow walk, after a while some quiet noise caught their attention it was some distance away so it was hard to say what caused it. They made only a few steps before the sound became louder, both dragons stopped and listened intently, the noise was getting louder and louder with each passing second. Cynder made a few steps backwards and observed Spyro with a smile on her snout as he tried to figure out what was causing this noise.

" What is this?" Spyro asked thoughtfully " If I had to guess I would say it sounds like-" a single mole popping from behind a building cut him off, soon after another group of moles showed themselves followed by some cheetahs and dragons, all of them headed directly at him " Oh no" Spyro muttered with a glimmer of fear in his voice.

This was no small group, second after second more people popped from behind the building, Spyro's eyes went wide when the sound of many footsteps intensified just to reveal a quite big mob behind it which was headed straight at him. The first ones who got to Spyro began surrounding him instantly, asking questions, congratulating, thanking and many other things which he couldn't really hear since the cheerful noise was almost deafening.

"Listen guys there is no reason to be happy-" he didn't finish since a mole grabbed his head, Spyro gasped when the rodent pulled him, making him slide on the stone floor sending tiny sparks in the air as his claws scratched the ground below him. The mole didn't care about such things since the moment Spyro's head was close enough he hugged him tightly almost choking the young dragon. Someone patted his head, someone delicately punched him in the side in a friendly manner, he couldn't tell who it was since he was still being held by the mole.

"It's good to see you too" Spyro mumbled with a muffled voice while he patted the mole's back. The rodent feeling his touch released the grip and looked directly into the dragon's amethyst eyes. Spyro smiled kindly when he looked at the mole, the rodent stared at him for a while and shook his slightly before dragging the dragon for another hug. Spyro's eyes almost popped out from their sockets when the mole squeezed him.

The mob was getting bigger and bigger, everyone wanted to get as close as possible to Spyro just to be able to touch him. "Guys-" he couldn't finish a sentence since he was pulled from every possible direction. Mole, feline and draconic faces were flashing before his eyes as he was almost spinning around thanks to the many paws reaching for him. Some more clever dragons descended from the sky and landed near him, replacing the more unfortunate souls who were pushed away by the gust of wind their wings created.

Cynder stood a few steps away from the mob, she observed the scene in complete silence and with a broad smile on her snout. Even if she wanted to she could do nothing to stop them, they were lost in happiness. She really liked to see Spyro in such uncomfortable moments for him, of course if she isn't the one who caused this uneasiness in the first place. Cynder really liked this innocence of his, even despite all the things they've been through he still couldn't muster enough confidence to say '_no_'.

She observed the scene for a while now, the mob was jumping all around Spyro and the sight of his terrified snout staring at her made her giggle. Moments later the crowd began to move dragging him with them, Spyro had to realize what is happening since she could hear him calling her name. A slight opening formed itself, a purple snout emerged from it soon after. Cynder kept smiling and just waved him off when she saw Spyro staring at her. He was calling her name as the crowd dragged him, he continued doing so until the mob disappeared around the corner.

Cynder stood in the same place and her smile was fading the longer she stared at the empty street ahead. There was no one here to greet her, no one to thank or congratulate her, she was completely alone. Not that it surprised her, she was a murderer for them after all. Cynder is a black dragoness, one of a kind really, there is no other dragon with the same scales color in the Realms. She was born the same year Spyro was, in fact her egg was in the same Dragon Temple Spyro's egg was. Unfortunately she wasn't as lucky as he was, Ignitus only managed to save a single egg, all the others were destroyed expect for hers. Malefor needed a dragon to free his essence from his prison in Convexity and it happened to be her. The Ape King Gaul stole Cynder's egg just to ensure she was born under the Dark Master's influence, she was was being corrupted by his dark powers the moment she hatched, and that corruption transformed her into a monstrous horrific adult dragon brainwashed to do Malefor's bidding.

That transformation led to many deaths, she became the general of Malefor's army, Cynder led the Apes in the war against the Dragon race and the Guardians, it goes without saying that it was a very successful campaign. She became a killer for the cheetahs, a destroyer for the moles and a traitor for the dragons, she slaughtered everything that stood on her way, even those who didn't still couldn't hide from her shadow. Cynder was concerned only about her Master's return, every other life was worthless. The memories sadden her and fill her with a such strong guilt that if not for a single purple dragon she would probably be crazy by now.

Cynder blinked and shook her head as a loud sound reached her accompanied by many startled screams, soon after shouts of anger and confusion could be heard. However that was unimportant since moments later a purple shape emerged from behind a building which was getting closer towards her.

" Cynder!" Spyro shouted "Now's our chance let's get the hell out of here" he stopped in front of her panting slightly

She giggled " How did you manage to get here? From the looks of it they weren't really keen to release you"

" Sparx helped me, you have no idea how difficult it is to breathe, they are just so happy that I can't even concentrate on one thing since soon after someone else squeezes me"

Cynder stared at him with a cheerful smile, her eyes traveled across his purple snout until she noticed some damp spots on his cheeks " Some even more than happy"

Spyro noticed her nodding towards his snout, he impulsively touched his cheek and blushed momentarily " No..that's...that's" he stammered while he kept rubbing his scales.

Cynder giggled " So tell me, where you want to run?"

" As far as possi-"

"There you are!" an excited shout cut Spyro off making him wince, he turned around just to see a cheetah grabbing his horn, the feline tugged the dragon behind him.

Cynder just shrugged when he threw her a quick resigned glance with a corner of his eye, that is the price a hero has to pay, whether he likes it or not.

Just as he was about to reach a quite big crowd ahead a glowing shape flew just above him " Sparx!" Spyro shouted irritated " You said you got it covered!"

The dragonfly hovered in the air as he turned to look down to see his brother being surrounded by the crowd " I can't believe you still fall for that." Sparx shook his head " I've done my best, seriously but they drive a hard bargain" he waved a little red apple that he held in his hand

"You sold me for an apple?!"

Sparx shrugged " Dude I'm hungry what else could I do? Besides you worry too much bro, it's not so bad, believe me I've been through this"

Spyro managed to slip away from the many paws for a while " Maybe for you it isn't but all this is really bad for me!"

" Chill, it's going to be fun" the crowd trapped the purple dragon below him " Roly there is quite a live one" a mole jumped towards Spyro wrapping his paws around his neck and dragging him on the ground " Have fun bro" with that Sparx flew away.

Cynder observed the crowd ahead but what really caught her attention was a glowing yellow shape heading her way, and only one guy she knew emitted such light. Sparx is a dragonfly who is a sidekick and a brother to Spyro it doesn't matter that they are from different species. Sparx lived in the Swamp with his parents Flash and Nina and a purple dragon who the family adopted when they found his egg and raised him as one of their own.

Even if they are not from the same blood they are like siblings sharing the same day they were born. Sparx and Spyro stick together from the very beginning, even the passing years didn't change that, they both still remained inseparable. Sparx accompanied Spyro from the moment he left his home, the adventures they've been through intensified the bond between them. There was only one thing that they really disagreed upon and it was her. The moment Cynder was freed from Malefor's control Spyro always tried to help her any way he could while Sparx showed his distrust towards her and always repeated that she is still evil. That really caused some bad blood between the dragoness and the dragonfly.

Sparx looked down at her " And who do we have here? Isn't this the cause of my nightmares?"

Cynder kept staring at the crowd in complete silence

" Just when I thought the day can't get any better you show up and ruin everything" She was still standing in the same position

Sparx furrowed a brow " I've even lost my appetite" he threw the apple into one of the pile of debris before moving to hover just at her side " But when you are liked it can happen right?"

Cynder remained focused on the crowd

He cocked his head slightly in confusion before coughing " And who I am talking to? You have no idea about this, you have to play for the good team to understand"

She was still motionless

The silence irritated Sparx, he touched her side to gain her attention " Hello? Are you there?" he flew along her body just to stop inches above her head before patting it "Are you deaf or what?" when there was still no reaction he made his way towards her snout to hover just in front of her eyes and started to flail his hands just like a lunatic "Hello?!"

Cynder reared her head back and widened her eyes " You?!" she exclaimed with a faked surprise " What are you doing here? I hadn't seen you coming" she smirked

Sparx frowned and folded his arms around his chest " Very funny smartass"

"Honest, I really didn't see you coming, I thought it was a wind or something"

The dragonfly snorted and started flying around her head " You stare at that crowd and they even don't see you, after all this time you show up and they ignore you" he shivered " That's gotta sting"

Cynder threw her head to a side and closed her eyes just like any offended lady would do " Pffff" she snorted " I'm way too important for someone like them, they are not worth my precious time" she looked at the dragonfly with one of her eyes while a corner of her mouth twitched into a smile

" Ha! You wish!" Sparx exclaimed wryly " I tell you something sister, people here appreciate only the good stuff"

Cynder's eyes shot wide open as she looked at the dragonfly " What did you call me? Sister?" she curled her nose " Ewww that's disgusting"

Sparx cleared his throat nervously "Sister?!" he snorted " I've said trickster, boy you sure are deaf" he delicately poked her forehead with his finger several times

She focused her emerald eyes on him, her pupils moved to the sides of her orbs so they could form a good image " Now I'm going to have nightmares"

The dragonfly quickly flew away, she smiled kindly when she saw him doing so. Sparx waved his hand dismissively " If you don't believe me, fine, I don't care anyway" with that he started to fly towards the crowd " I'm going to find some better company, besides I can't let Spyro steal all the attention. People!" Sparx exclaimed loudly " Your hero is coming!"

Cynder watched the glowing shape getting smaller and as she did so a kind sincere smiled formed itself on her snout " You're welcome" she whispered

Sparx always hid behind a mask, he always uses his sarcasm and wit to hide his true feelings, this time was no different and Cynder knew that, after all she exactly know what wit and sarcasm is. Over time the bad blood between them faded since Sparx learned to trust her when she and Spyro were tethered together during their journey. However that didn't stop them from throwing sarcastic remarks at each other, sometimes even snide ones. After some more time the relationship between Sparx and Cynder became far more friendly and the moment before the final battle proved that. The dragonfly had Cynder promise him to take care of Spyro when Sparx couldn't accompany the two dragons to the Burned Lands to face Malefor. Cynder knew that Sparx cared only about his foster brother's safety and this little talk they had was a thank you, dipped in the typical witty and sarcastic tone of course but she understood it without problems.

Cynder winced when something hit her head and broke her train of thought. She opened her eyes just to notice a little rock with its side covered in fresh crimson blood rolling on the ground. Cynder touched her head and lowered her paw just to see blood on it, she impulsively looked up. Her eyes widened as she noticed a big slab of stone heading her way that would turn her into a pulp if she would stand here. With her survival instinct kicking in Cynder quickly jumped forward and landed on her belly, the moment her magenta scales touched the floor, the slab hit the ground behind her with a loud rumbling noise. The impact broke the stone into many smaller pieces and created quite a thick dust hanging in the air. Cynder coughed several times and pulled herself up to look at the debris with shock filled eyes and a ringing sound in her head.

"Is everyone alright down there?" a low male shout came from above

Soon after a dragon descended from the sky and landed near the cracked slab of stone. He was fairly in his adulthood. The dragon has a powerfully built body, well formed muscles were protected by thick malachite scales which turned into a pewter color on his underbelly, chest and on both sides of his tail, his membranes were of the same color. Bladelike bony plates sprout from his chin, bony plates but without any blades covered the back of his head. A single horn is projecting above his nose. On either side of his tail are sharp, bladelike extensions. A pair of grey eyes scanned the surroundings.

" A warning would be welcome!" Cynder exclaimed angrily

The dragon looked at her with innocent eyes " I did yell _WATCH OUT_"

She narrowed her eyes " Strange, I didn't hear anything"

" I'm not surprised, it's hard to concentrate with all this noise down here "

Cynder observed the dragon, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he isn't entirely honest, however he had a point, it is really loud here thanks to the nearby crowd. She decided to not dwell on it any longer " Be more careful next time, you might actually kill someone one day"

She noticed the dragon smirking for a brief moment, but the smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared " I would never hurt anyone" he replied firmly

" Did we got her?" an excited male shout came from above. Moments later a group of dragons landed close to the debris. There were three of them, all males. One was a fire dragon about Cynder's age or one or two years older, the next two were earth dragons slightly older than the malachite drake. The group looked around grinning and clearly excited, just as their eyes found Cynder their expressions turned to that of disappointment.

The malachite dragon gave them a scornful look " Luckily nobody is hurt" with that he turned around to look at Cynder with eyes filled with guilt " You have to forgive them, they are quite clumsy but they have good intentions. My apologies" as he lowered his head Cynder noticed as he threw her a quick glance and smiled wryly under his nose for a brief moment.

Cynder narrowed her pupils as her eyes traveled from dragon to dragon until they stopped on the malachite one " Wouldn't hurt anyone you say" she hissed threateningly as she had seen through his deception

He raised his head grinning menacingly " With some exceptions of course"

" If you have a problem with me say it straight to my face instead of playing dirty. Cowards" Cynder growled

The three other dragons snarled " You should be the last one who speaks of honest fights Ligtbane!" one of the earth drakes exclaimed

She bent on her paws " Then maybe you should teach me some manners" her tail began to move slowly back and forth

The malachite dragon adopted a defensive stance " Tempting" he growled

"Cynder!" a scared familiar male shout came from behind her which she ignored, she was entirely focused on the group of dragons ahead. "Cynder are you ok?" Spyro yelled with a terrified voice

Seeing that the purple dragon is getting close the group of drakes relaxed "What happened here!?" Spyro exclaimed while looking at the debris with wide eyes.

The malachite dragon looked at him with guilty expression " It was an accident, thanks the Ancestors nobody was badly hurt" he threw Cynder a challenging look "Isn't that right?"

She growled quietly with her yes intently focused on him "Yeah…yeah it was just an accident"

The other three dragons stared at her for a while just to look at Spyro moments later "Capro" one of the earth dragons said "We should get back to work"

"You are right" Capro nodded " We apologize for any trouble" with that the group took to the sky. When he was in the air Capro threw Cynder one last malicious glance

Spyro sighed in relief " When I heard that noise I thought…" he shivered "Good thing that everything ended well"

Cynder kept staring at the departing group of dragons " Yeah…very good" she muttered

Spyro looked at her with concerned eyes " Cynder are you alright? How are you feeling?" he asked with a soft tone

Her heart jumped when she heard the only voice that cared about her. She blinked and forgot about that whole bad situation in an instant " I'm fine now" Cynder smiled lovingly and began to turn around "You left the party already? That's not-"

Spyro gasped the moment she looked at him "You are hurt!" he exclaimed with fear in his voice

Cynder forgot about that blood on her paw but his startled shout made it all come back to her. Her head began to sting a clear sign that she is wounded. Cynder also started to feel as a streak of blood was running down her forehead " That's just a scratch, nothing to worry about " she closed one of her eyes as blood started to flow down her eyelid

"We have to find a healer!"

" Spyro relax, th-" she gasped when he wrapped his tail around one of her forelegs and tugged her "Spyro listen!" Cynder exclaimed to get his attention but with no luck " Spyro I'm fine!" he didn't budge " Ok you win, I'll go, just release me!" he kept pulling her behind him making Cynder jump on her three free paws "Spyro!"

As they reached the crowd every single person was stepping out of their way, all of them however stared at the purple dragon and the screaming black dragoness behind him with wide eyes. Only a glowing shape emerged from the mob and headed towards the young drakes.

" Bro I'm proud of you!" Sparx exclaimed happily " You finally decided to get rid of this burden" he clapped his hands and cleared his throat " The Big Guys want to see you"

" Later" Spyro replied firmly

They left the crowd behind them and made their way up some stairs, eventually they arrived on the second level. Cynder stopped protesting after a while, it had no sense, he wasn't listening from the beginning so there was no chance he would now. With a sigh she jumped behind him in complete silence, after '_walking_' past by many shocked residents of this city, their destination came into view, it was a building with an empty bed and a red potion next to it shaped right above its entrance.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The hospital is a very vast building with many rooms to accommodate patients who suffer minor or grave injuries with some special rooms to house those who had perished before they could be transported to a burial ground or cremated. This is not the most welcoming of places.

They stood in a quite big room with its ceiling high above their heads, the floor was made of stone probably because it doesn't require much effort to clean the stains of blood from it. The brownstone wall was created in such a way to prevent making any sharp edges, giving the whole building a round structure.

There were no decorations hanging on the wall, only torches and windows with red curtains dotted the room, the curtains could be pulled to hide the interior from the residents and spare them any unwanted gruesome view. Some wooden desk with closed drawers stood all around the room with shelves attached to the wall over them which were filled with different kind of potions, poultices, bandages, gems and many other equipment at paw's reach.

A construction like that allowed to treat the minor wounds on the spot while the worst ones could be tended quickly to save a patient's life before he could be transported to a room for an appropriate treatment. White sheets laid folded on the desks and many stretchers leaned against a wall behind them could be seen, they differed in size and structure. Some were small, others somewhat bigger allowing the smallest and medium sized patients to be transported.

However there were also some more peculiar ones near the wall. They didn't look like the typical stretchers one was accustomed with, they looked like an extremely big and wide sheet, scratched to its limits and reinforced with wooden poles on the edges which also run below the sheet and ended on some sturdy looking machine with four pretty big wheels on its bottom, two wooden handles ran from its back.

It looked more like a cart than a stretcher but one thing was sure, it was used for transportation. Even if they could carry any kind of creature they were designed especially for adult dragons, the healers needed something to help them to transport such a big pile of muscle. It was an uncomfortable ride for the patient no doubt with the poles plucking at his or her body, but when someone is trying to survive comfort is best pushed aside.

The room they were in was completely empty, no healer could be seen, it shouldn't be surprising, with the war over the hospital didn't see much traffic, it seems everyone was committed in rebuilding the city. Good riddance. Many wide corridors run from the room, on their brownstone walls many doors were attached on the opposite sides. The hospital was prepared to receive plenty of wounded residents, hopefully both dragons won't never see it fully occupied.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Spyro shouted but was only greeted with complete silence

"See? Nobody's home, told you it's going to be a waste of time" Cynder replied with a glimmer of hope in her voice

" My friend is injured and she needs help!" he yelled once again but as previously only silence answered him

" He's just joking!" She yelled soon after " I'm feeling very well so don't bother coming here, we are leaving anyway!" Cynder looked at Spyro with fake excitement " Did you hear that? They said there is nothing to worry about" she nodded towards the door " Let's get out of here" with that she began turning towards the exit

Spyro didn't even look at her, the moment he felt she was slipping away, he wrapped his tail around Cynder's leg and tugged her behind him, a female gasp was everything he heard. " We could really use some help!" Spyro shouted and dragged Cynder behind him, soon they reached one of the desk and his amethyst eyes traveled across the medical equipment, there was everything he needed on them. A turmoil was going on in his head, part of him wanted to take these thing and help his friend but the other said that stealing is wrong and especially the theft of supplies from a hospital was something sinister.

The other part had won, with a sigh he left the desk alone and headed for one of the corridors "Hello?" Spyro shouted again

"Spyro come on" Cynder sighed resigned "There is no one here, just let's go"

He didn't listen, soon he reached one of the corridors, one the wall he noticed a silver plate with OFFICE and PATIENTS written on it with gold letters. Spyro craned his neck " Can anyone help me?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Nothing could be heard, just when he was about to emit a resigned sigh a muffled shout reached them "I'm right here!"

Spyro threw Cynder a thrilled look " I knew someone would be here"

" Oh goody!" she exclaimed with faked pleasure

He rolled his eyes and dragged the black dragoness behind him.

" Don't be shy I don't bite!" another muffled shout reached them

Spyro followed it just to arrive near some closed wooden door with a blank plate attached on them. With determination he raised his paw and knocked.

" Come in!" a female voice yelled from behind the doors.

Spyro pushed the door open which revealed some sort of an office. A big window with red curtains covered the end of the room which allowed the rays to illuminate the whole office. Below the window stood a dresser with two flowerpots and a curiously looking casket on it. Bookshelves adorned one side of the wall with a door between them, only a handful of books were about medicine, some were about history, others about alchemy and even some about magic. All of the books had different colored covers, filling the usually dreary room with some colors.

A huge painting depicting some sort of an ancient tree arched from a ledge hung on the other side of the wall, it looked like the tree which the cheetahs called The Fortune. Below it was some sort of a cabinet with many different herbs in pots, potions and many more medical supplies standing on it. A simple single bed could be seen in the corner which was probably for the patients who didn't have enough energy to stand.

In the middle of the room just in front of the big window a desk was placed with a gold unlit candlestick sitting on it, which illuminated the many papers laying on the desk in the darkest hours. Next to the papers a bottle of ink with a quill stuck into it could be seen with a small hourglass next to it. A simple wooden chair was placed behind the desk which was currently occupied.

The moment Spyro entered the room a female cheetah greeted him with a kind smile, she had quite a nasty looking scar just above her right eye. She was wearing a white apron with a simple grey shirt below it, it was a typical doctor's gown without any regard for fashion. A single silver earing with a tiny emerald in its socket pierced her pointy left ear. Her fur lacked the typical sharp color, it was mostly white, some might say even that it was grey. The brown color of her fur and black ringlets were faded, a clear sign that she is quite old.

Though the feline's body was frail nobody could say the same thing about her eyes, the cheetah's brown orbs were focused and full of life, just like they accumulated the slipping energy from her body and stored it within themselves. Wiliness wasn't the only thing the feline's eyes showed, they were also radiating wisdom, wisdom that only people who lived their share of life gained. Besides it a good watcher could notice something strange in her eyes just like she burrowed something below the clearly visible kindness.

The feline put down a white paper she was holding on the desk and crossed her fingers in front of her face " I've told them they were wrong" the feline grinned

"Excuse me?" Spyro cocked his head

She waved her paw dismissively and giggled "Oh don't mind me, I'm just jabbering it comes with age" she smiled kindly " However I'm glad that my intuition doesn't fail me yet"

" We need your help Miss"

The feline lowered her paws and stood up with an alarmed look on her face " What's the matter my boy? How can I help you"

Spyro quickly shook his head " No, no, no I'm fine. It's about my friend, she's hurt." He looked behind him " Cynder get in here" Spyro hissed

The cheetah cocked her head "Cynder?" she muttered with disbelief in her voice

" There is no need for that, my wound healed itself!" an almost sincere excited female shout came from behind the door

" I won't repeat myself"Spyro hissed threateningly

" Spyro just check for yourself, I'm fine"

He looked at the cheetah and chuckled " She loves jokes, I assure you that she can't wait to see you Miss"

The feline giggled " I've noticed"

" Hey" the same female voice came from behind the door " That's not true, I can think of more interesting things than-" Spyro quickly wrapped his tail around her foreleg and pulled her inside the room "Hello Miss!" Cynder exclaimed hastily " I couldn't wait to see you" she forced a fake happy smile on her snout

The cheetah grinned " It's a pleasure to meet you too" her expression became more serious after a while " Your friend told me you are hurt, can I take a look?"

Before Cynder could say anything Spyro stepped to the side revealing the black dragoness behind him with a streak of blood running down her forehead and closed right eye " On her head, it's bleeding badly" he said

The feline waved her hand at Cynder " Come closer, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be" she stepped from behind the desk

Cynder looked at Spyro who just nodded his head towards the healer. With a sigh she moved closer to the cheetah.

When Cynder got close enough the feline gasped " Oh Sweetheart" she grabbed her head and began examining it " My poor thing," she huffed just like a caring mother" Wait here, I'll be right back" with that the cheetah disappeared into the room near the bookshelves.

Momentarily she returned with a bowl filled with water and a white sheet hanging from it. Placing the bowl next to Cynder she dipped the sheet into the water and began cleaning the blood from Cynder's snout.

Spyro quickly jumped next to them " Is she going to be alright Miss?" he asked with a palpable worry in his voice

The feline dipped the sheet once again and renewed her work " The wound is bleeding profusely but there is nothing to worry about" she dipped the sheet once again and started to clean Cynder's forehead " And please don't call me Miss, my name is Amela"

He bowed his head " Pleased to meet you Amela, I'm Spyro"

She shot him a fleeting glance and gave him a knowing smile before returning to her work

" But you already know that" Spyro huffed

Amela giggled and dipped the sheet once again before looking at Cynder " So are you going to tell me how did you get yourself injured like this?"

Cynder moved her pupils upwards to look at the feline " Oh nothing serious, just a falling stone hit me in the head that's all"

"Nothing serious?!" Spyro exclaimed "It was only a little piece from a bigger slab, you are lucky to be alive!"

She shrugged " Same thing, it's over let's just forget about it"

Amela narrowed her eyes while watching the black dragoness " You should stay clear from the inner city, there are a lot of dangerous places there with the repairs going on"

Cynder recognized that tone of voice, the old cheetah figured out that she is hiding something, nevertheless she decided not to admit to anything " We will be more careful"

"They had to finish some repairs there since it all happened near the entrance to the Tunnel" Spyro said cluelessly.

Amela dipped the sheet with a frown on her face "They are working fast" she started cleaning the wound " Tell me who is so careless so I can scold them the next time I see them"

Spyro shook his head "There is no need for that, accidents happen and the bunch of dragons who were responsible apologized"

The cheetah threw Cynder a quick knowing glance "We all make mistakes" with that she made her way towards the cabinet with the medical equipment and started to search for something " Accidents happen after all" she picked up a small closed flask and turned to look at Spyro "Darling I can't find my scissors, I'm sure I left them in one of the rooms, could you look for them?" she asked with a kind smile.

"Sure, no problem" Spyro turned around and dashed towards the door.

"And Spyro!" Amela exclaimed stopping him on the doorstep " Search very thoroughly, I have a tendency to place things in the strangest of places and keep the door open my hearing isn't very good these days" she smiled kindly once again.

Spyro nodded and left the office.

The cheetah returned to Cynder observing her carefully " Accidents huh? It seems that even in the most well-constructed city like Warfang you have to be very cautious"

Cynder stared at the feline as she hunkered down near her " From now on I'll keep my eyes open"

" You should" Amela said with a caring tone and opened the flask

" What is it? Cynder asked cautiously watching the cheetah's every move

"This" the feline raised the flask to look at it " this are some special herbs which will speed up your regeneration process

" This is the moment when you poison me or something?"

Amela froze for a moment, her eyes sparkled destroying all the kindness in them. After a while she blinked and her eyes returned to their normal state " Why would I do such a thing Sweetheart?" she asked with a soft tone

Cynder averted her gaze " I'm sure you have your reasons, almost everyone else does" she whispered with a glimmer of guilt in her voice

She smiled kindly " I don't, besides do you really think I would attempt to kill you when Spyro is so close?" she plunged her finger into the flask just to remove it moments later, it was covered in some kind of greyish paste, It was very sticky and felt like a glue when she smeared it all over the wound on the dragoness' head

Cynder sighed " You wouldn't be the first one, and I wouldn't blame you, I deserve it, all of it" she lowered her head

Amela looked at her and narrowed her eyes "Vengeance is not an option, it always does more harm than good, never fight evil with evil, remember that Sweetheart. Unfortunately not everyone understands it" she moved her hand under Cynder's jaw and raised her head so her emerald eyes met with the feline" so it's very important that you never let your guard down"

They stared at each other for a while, until Amela couldn't stand no longer Cynder's painful expression " Stop blaming yourself for everything Sweetheart, the guilt will kill you" she said with a soft tone

"It's not that simple" Cynder sighed

Amela smiled kindly "That's how it supposed to be, it means you have a conscience and even if it stings that's a good sign"

"I can't find them!" Spyro's shout reached both females

"Keep looking Darling I really need them, these teeth and claws aren't as sharp as they used to be!" the cheetah exclaimed while shooting a quick glance at the opened door

Cynder smiled wryly " You are cunning"

Amela shrugged while smiling innocently " When you will be my age you will understand that brain is your only weapon"

Cynder giggled in understanding

The feline looked at the black dragoness with a serious expression on her face " You are aware that it is forbidden to do any repairs where you've been? Basically it's forbidden to do any repairs near the gates"

Cynder nodded " I am"

"Then why you didn't tell him about this?"

Clearly visible guilt showed itself on her black snout " Because I'm a burden, I've been a problem since the moment we defeated Malefor and he deserves some peace" she sighed " besides I don't want to make his life miserable"

" Oh Sweetheart" Amela huffed caringly " You are too hard on yourself"

"I'm not, I'm just giving Spyro one less thing to worry about"

The cheetah caressed her black head gently " Have you ever heard him complaining?"

Cynder paused for a brief moment " No…but-"

"But…" Amela cut her off "…he is your friend and from what I've seen he dragged you here forcefully just to make sure you are safe"

" I know and that's what worries me the most"

"Why Sweetheart? You have a friend you can count on, Spyro will do anything in his power to help you, why keep him in the dark?" she kept stroking Cynder's head

She thought for a moment "Spyro is very protective of me, if I would tell him about all of this he might do something that might ruin his reputation"

Amela giggled " If you keep protecting each other you won't achieve anything, being overprotective of each other only means that you are doing nothing at all. You don't have many friends here Sweetheart, value the ones you have"

Amela's words rang in Cynder's head, the old cheetah may be right about Spyro and his commitment but that was her mess and she needs to clean it herself " I can take care of myself" Cynder stated firmly

"I don't doubt that" Amela reached for a drawer in her desk from which she recovered a bandage and silver scissors " This is only an advice from an old cat" with that she cut a small strip of bandage with the scissors and tended to the wound. Thanks to the greyish paste the bandage glued itself to the wound.

Moments later Spyro barged through the door "I'm sorry Amela, I've searched all of the rooms but I couldn't find those damn scissors"

The cheetah exchanged with Cynder some knowing smiles before concentrating on the purple dragon "Don't worry Darling" she said with the usual kind tone "they are right here" she showed him the scissors " I'm very forgetful sometimes, it has to be my age"

Spyro's eyes sparkled with happiness as he quickly jumped towards his friend "How are you feeling?"

Cynder's heart jumped in her chest when she was once again reminded how much he cares about her well-being " Told you it was just a scratch" she smiled lovingly

Spyro looked at the cheetah with grateful eyes " Thank you very much Amela"

The feline smiled and returned to her seat behind the desk "That's why I'm here"

" Thanks for the help but we have to go" Cynder said "we won't meet in the same circumstances again" with that all three of them exchanged nods before the dragons left the room.

Amela picked up the white paper from the desk and began examining it "Let's hope so" she sighed

* * *

Spyro exhaled with relief, with the most important thing taken care of it was time to visit the Guardians. Even if he wasn't a member of the City Watch or a soldier it was still his duty to report to the leaders of the Dragon Race, as all dragons do. However for him friendship and safety of his friends had priority over duty. Not to mention that that he didn't really want to meet with them after what happened to Ignitus, he was their friend after all and Spyro didn't know how he will tell them that he is dead. However he is in Warfang now, there is no turning back, what has to be done has to be done.

After a short uneventful walk they reached a fountain and just on the right they saw the stairs which led to the City Hall. Spyro stopped near the stairs, took a deep breath and made his way up with Cynder walking right next to him.

There it was, the Grand Plaza, perfectly clean shining marble pavements ran through the greenish ground with lanterns, trees and small dragon statues adorning it. The path split into three intersections near a small pond with colorful fish swimming underwater. The Moles know how to build cities and even despite the debris littering this level it was still a breathtaking sight. However they were only interested on the central path which led to their destination.

Soon they arrived near the City Hall, two huge perfectly intact dragon statues stood at both sides of the small stairs which led to the main entrance. The statues were extremely imposing, they depicted a male and a female dragon in full battle armor. The agitated expressions shaped on their stony snouts triggered a feeling of awe, they showed that whoever is entering this place has to know that he is just entering the home of the leaders of this city and has to remain respectful. For both of them and probably for the whole city, well maybe not for the moles these were only statues. Spyro knew the Guardians , they are far more friendly than these two stony drakes. It was a different story for a complete stranger, after all fine feathers make fine birds they say.

Both dragons stopped in front of a huge solid looking door, golden unfolded draconic wings adorned it which were carved on the surface of the door with tiny glowing sapphires on their edges The wings spread through the whole door reaching both its ends. The corners the wings didn't cover were embellished with small views from Warfang just like somebody would take pictures of the city from four different directions. West was in the lower left corner, south on the opposite side, east in the right upper corner and north above west.

Three opened dragon maws with a handle inside each of them protruded from the middle of the door, each of them differed in size. On the bottom was the smallest one, allowing the shortest creatures to open the door, creatures like moles for example. The middle one was for creatures like the cheetahs and the highest one for adult dragons. All you need to do is to push the handle and the door open, no matter how much strength you have. Nobody knows how the moles managed to do that but it works perfectly. Spyro pushed the handle at the bottom and the door swung open revealing the most important interior for the city.

It was a tremendously huge dome-liked building with a high ceiling, burning braziers dotted the interior, they were burning intensely illuminating and warming the City Hall. A long wide brown carpet ran through the middle of the room with the same golden wings depicted on it but without the glowing stones.

Rows of dragon statues stood on both sides of the room, all of them were standing on their hind legs with their front paws extended above their heads with their paws touching the ceiling in places where it was the lowest, just like they've been holding the dome from falling down. Every now and then a tall column stood in front of the statues with a shape of a coiled dragon carved into it which wrapped the whole column in its stone body just to end with an open maw with fire burning inside its mouth.

In the far right corner of the room there was a flight of stairs visible which led to the guests quarters on the upper levels, they've been there a couple of times already, it was nothing more than long corridors with many rooms dotting it waiting to accommodate some special guests. Near the stairs there was an entrance in the right wall leading into a corridor lit by the same looking braziers, one side of it led up to the guest quarters while the other slop downward towards the Mass Hall. On the other side of the huge room was another entrance which lead to the training grounds for the guards and soldiers, both dragons visited it once or twice and for Spyro those weren't really pleasant memories.

At the far end of the room in the middle just between both entrances stood an extremely big wooden table with some chairs surrounding it and a candlestick sitting on its top. This was a City Hall after all, so it was common to see things like that where the leaders may discuss important details regarding the city. Just right past the table on the wall a big dragon snout was carved into the stone, it really resembled the stony snout that served as the door into the Forbidden Tunnel. Its eyes were lit with a bright red light which perfectly illuminated the table below. Just below it were some massive door which led to the Guardian's quarters.

Just above the snout were four different banners hanging from the stony wall and a completely different symbol carved into each of them ,each of these symbols represented a different element. The banners were all quite similar but they had some differences. The element of Fire was represented by an orange circle with four smaller ones, two of them were located on the bottom left and right corner of the bigger circle, one was directly in the middle and the last one just above it. A orange arm in a form of a sickle protruded from the bottom right corner and encircled the small middle circle. The banner has a reddish background, it splits into two smaller stripes with a dark marking on them which hang from the bottom circles. The main orange orb was adorned with a greenish hue on its upper part.

The second banner represented Earth, it looked like the previous one but instead of a reddish background and a sickle it had a green hue and an arm which looked like a claw that protruded from the hoop of the main orb, next to the upper circle just to encircle the middle one. The Ice banner has a blue background and an arm protruding from the left bottom circle in the form of an edged spike while the Electricity banner was yellow with an arm in the form of a shock pulse which started from the bottom left hoop of the main orb, encircled the middle small one just to end on the upper small circle.

The last symbol had no banner, it was just a white swirl of wind on a background of gray-blue, it goes without saying that it stood for Wind. The elements were not only represented by banners but also by Guardians who were sitting just behind the table, due to recent events only three of them were still alive.

Terrador is the Earth Guardian, he is an old but still pretty powerfully built dragon, he has green scales that are covered with patches of brown hue on his shoulders, sides, thighs and tail. He has claret-colored wings with brown membranes, the same colored fins run from the back of his head and end on his tail. A small patch of claret hair covers the sides of his snout and the bottom side of his jaw, a beard and sideburns to be more precise. His tail ended with a claret spiked club. The spikes had a peachy hue, just like the single spike on the end and middle of his wings with two similar spikes on their thumbs. His underbelly, four little horns protruding from his head and two extremely big horns running from the back of his head had the same color. A pair of maroon eyes observed the world.

Terrador is a battle-scarred warrior and the most militant of the Guardians. He is dedicated and focused on the practical art of battle. He speaks in a low, militant baritone voice.

Cyril is the Ice Guardian, just like Terrador he is quite old. He is covered in cyan scales thanks to the shining color it looks like his whole body is made out from ice. Spines of the same color run from the back of his head just to end with a small cluster of spikes on the tip of his tail which spread just like a blossoming flower would. A cluster of spikes protruded from his shoulders, with some smaller ones on his hooks and elbows. A diadem of icicles adorned his forehead, three smaller icicles protruded from the bottom side of his jaw and a single one projected above his nose. From the upper side of his cheeks projected a couple more of these spikes which ended on the bottom side, the interior was covered in a violet hue. The membranes of his cyan wings had the same color, just like his underbelly, two long straight horns protruding backwards from his head and both sides of his tail while the middle of it had his natural color. A violet streak started from the back of his head and ran through the whole upper side of his body. Little shining white diamond looking markings adorned the cyan scales on his tail, thighs and both sides of his neck. A pair of blue eyes scanned the surroundings.

Cyril is a coldly confident and predominately prideful dragon, who constantly brags about supposedly royal ancestry, claiming that his lineage is that of some long forgotten yet great dragons.

Volteer is the Electric Guardian, the same age like the two previously mentioned dragons. Amber scales protected his body, little fins protruding from his cheeks, a slight mane and a tiny spike projecting above his nose had the same color. Saffron markings covered the sides of his neck, back, upper arms, thighs and tail. The same colored membranes were attached to his wings which had an amethyst hue just like his underbelly, sideburns, beard, two horns running from the back of his head which were curved on the end just like a claw, fins on his hocks, elbows and the ones which ran through the whole length of his body which ended on the tip of his tail in the form of two-tined spear had the same color. A pair of amethyst plates protected his shoulders and a pair of the same colored eyes watched the world.

Volteer is the most intellectual of the Guardians, well-versed in lore and legend of the dragons of old. His quick and spectacular speech can sizzle any sound sensor, thanks to his sympathetic nature he is a friend and fellow to all.

However before both young dragons could approach the Guardians a pair of male cheetahs blocked their way. One of them was Meadow and the other feline was called Hunter. Hunter has blue eyes and a yellow fur with white hue on the bottom side of his jaw and cheeks. The white fur also covered his neck, bottom side of his arms, hands, torso and parts of his legs just below his knees. Black ringlets dotted his fur, the same colored fur covered the ends of his pointy ears. He is wearing a hooded brown coat with a dark reddish cape pinned to it with a yin-yang symbol, just below the symbol a falcon feather could be seen. A bow and a filled quiver colored just like his cape were strapped on the feline's back. He wears two reddish ankle bands and similar bands protected his forearms.

After the Night of Eternal Darkness, Hunter was sent by Ignitus to find Spyro and Cynder when they didn't return to the Dragon Temple.

Three years later, the cheetah warrior secretly followed a group of Grublins through the ruins of the Mountain of Malefor where they led him to the place where Spyro and Cynder were encased in a crystal. Hunter escorted both young dragons to Warfang despite Prowlus' scolds when they involuntary stopped in the Cheetah Village. He possesses a lot of faith in Spyro and even trusts Cynder despite her dark past since Ignitus had faith in her as well.

Hunter's ears flattened on his skull and a grin formed itself on his face as he approached both young dragons " Your kind will never cease to amaze me" he hunkered down in front of them " Dragons are fascinating creatures" the cheetah sighed in true awe " Welcome back" he solemnly bowed his head.

" Hunter!" Spyro exclaimed joyfully " It's good to see that you're alright"

" I wouldn't be if not for you" he looked at Cynder " Both of you"

She shook her head " Oh no, no, no" she nodded towards Spyro " He's the hero, leave me out of it" Cynder smiled

Spyro threw her a meaningful glance "Now I'm the only hero?!" he blurt out with faked indignance " What happened to _I don't want to brag, _huh_?"_ he smiled

Cynder shrugged "I don't know what he is talking about" she winked

Hunter chuckled "It's good to see that you haven't changed"

Meadow grabbed the feline's shoulder " Hunter let's not hold our friends here, they have more important things to do than waste time on two cats" he winked

Hunter stood up " The Guardians wish to speak with you, see you later" they exchanged brief goodbyes and the felines were on their way, but after a few steps Hunter stopped and turned around " And guys" he gained the attention of both young dragons as they turned around to look at him " I never got the chance to say that it's been an honor to fight alongside you" Hunter bowed his head

Both dragons returned the gesture " Likewise Hunter" Spyro stated and with that the group split

"Spyro! Cynder! You are here!" Volteer exclaimed happily the moment they got close " You can't comprehend just how effervescent my old heart had become when my eyes conceived this fortuitous yet very blithesome sight!" the words came out from his mouth just one after the other, without even a moment to catch a breath

Both young dragons smiled " It's good to see you too Volteer" Spyro replied

"We all are glad to see you both alive and well" Terrador's low voice reached them " let's just say that some of us can't show excitement just like the rest" he looked at the Electric Guardian with a corner of his eye

Both young dragons chuckled

"If you two would ever listen to what I have to say you wouldn't be surprised" Cyril scolded the two other Guardians with his cold gaze " Spyro perfectly accomplished my tutelage and no mere vile dragon could stop him, after all royal blood runs in my veins, blood from dragons who wielded great power and Spyro proved that he is capable of wielding this power. A true match for my family."

Volteer rolled his eyes " Cyril don't bore our friends here with your perennial boasting. I've frequently stated that there is no lore in any of my books that would say anything about paramount Ice dragons who were supreme than any other species. I'm solicitous to admit but these dragons are nothing else than a figment of your own imagination"

Cyril narrowed his eyes on the Electric Guardian and an icy mist escaped his nostrils " Than you should try actually reading a book that has some value"

Volteer's eyes sparkled " Value of a tome is a relative term. For an intellectual mind facts about the emanation of magic around our world would be the most substantial matter while the more pragmatic ones would seek information about more empirical topics. Investigation is the most crucial thing"

Cyril frowned " I've heard that the weather will be nice this day, you should investigate, quickly"

" I will in due time. However the sun is a very-"

Terrador snorted " Will you two finally stop!" he scolded them with his maroon eyes

Cynder giggled " Some things never change"

When the room went silent Terrador emitted a loud sigh and shook his head " It's more difficult than a war" with that he concentrated on the purple dragon and smiled " Spyro I know that you want to help any way you can, but the city will be rebuilt without your help, you've done enough. You could have visited us the moment you arrived, you two deserve some rest"

Spyro furrowed a brow " Terrador what are you talking about? Even if I wanted to help I couldn't"

The Earth Dragon jerked back slightly in surprise " That's strange, when Sparx said that you are taking care of some trash we thought that you are cleaning the debris"

" Bro and there I thought that you finally became smart" a yellow glowing dragonfly approached the dragons

Cynder frowning observed the circling dragonfly above their heads "Hilarious" she retorted

Sparx hovered in front of her snout spreading his arm "I'm a genius, what can I do?

Cyril completely ignored their little dispute as he concentrated on both young drakes" Tell us about the fight with The Dark Master, I'm anxious to hear how the powers of my royal lineage helped in the destruction of great evil"

The Ice dragon words gained immediately the attention of the other Guardians, all of them craned their necks so they could understand clearly what both dragons have to say.

Spyro and Cynder exchanged quick glances between themselves before they started the tale. This story however differed from the one in the cheetah village. The story was kept in a more serious tone without a single joke and role playing. They've described every detail, from the moment they've entered Malefor's lair through the actual battle with the description of the powers The Dark Master wielded. Their explanation made the Guardians throw some of their own observations every now and then, only a single voice that belonged to an amber dragon accompanied them throughout the whole tale. Their story ended the moment Spyro used all his power to mend the world, leaving a stunning impression on all the Guardians.

"… The dragon constellation that was created in the sky on that day was astounding" Volteer continued his excited speech after the young dragons finished their tale " the power unleashed, it was something unprecedented. Spyro your unequalled heritage granted us an cognizance which we can marvel upon, there are no traits in any lore about this omnipotent display of magical potency. It can take years to elucidate this abstruseness. Study is essential, we have to distinguish what we are dealing with. It could mean a breakthrough in aggrandizing the elemental power of dragons. It's unpretentiously riveting!"

Sparx stared at Volteer with a dumbfounded look on his face " I don't understand a word"

"We-are-shocked" Cynder pronounced each word slowly, her voice was dripping with sarcasm

The dragonfly shot her an irritated glance before he focused on the Electric Guardian "Dude, seriously you need to breathe sometimes"

Volteer opened his mouth to speak but a low baritone voice interrupted him " It sounds like that was quite a battle" Terrador noticed that the amber dragon closed his mouth and sighed in relief quietly " I'm amazed you survived it with nothing more than a few scratches. You two are the most talented warriors I've ever met, you saved us all."

Sparx folded his arms" You're not forgetting something? If not for my awesome guidance Spyro wouldn't be here, someone had to get him off from that Swamp"

Terrador rolled his eyes and sighed " Yes Sparx if not for you nothing of this would be possible"

The dragonfly grinned with pride " That's more like it! Someone who finally appreciates and listens to me!" he flew near Cynder " Did you hear that Naughty? I'm important!"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head when he flew before her " You were saying something?" Cynder asked with fake confusion

Sparx snorted

Spyro chuckled and shook his head " Some things never change"

Cyril observed the cheery group with an emotionless expression "Ignitus?" he asked icily

Every dragon and dragonfly looked at the Ice Guardian with wide eyes, the cheery mood was gone instantly, an awkward moment of silence took its place. Both young dragons stared at Cyril for a while before both their heads dropped down. Grief, regret, shame and anger boiled inside Spyro when an image of his Mentor being devoured by the flames flashed in his mind. Guilt, a guilt so strong filled him entirely, he couldn't bear the thought that he failed The Fire Guardian, but what troubled him more was that he failed the Old Dragon's friends. Tears welled up in his eyes " He…he… didn't make it" Spyro sobbed

To his surprise nothing happened, there was no screams of grief, no mourning, no shouting and blaming him for all of this, only silence. The Guardian's heads were hanging low, but they didn't say a word. The silence became unbearable for Spyro, he didn't know what to make out of it but a feeling of misgiving told him that this is just the calm before the storm.

He was even more shocked when Terrador rose his head and spoke with a calm yet filled with sadness voice " That's what we feared" he sighed " When he told me to get back to Warfang because the people here will need a leader I knew what he was up to." The dragon sadly shook his head " There was no one who could stop him, Ignitus knew that, I knew that, we all knew that." He frowned angrily " Stubborn bastard"

Spyro looked at the Guardians with watery eyes " I could, I know that, if I just told him to stop, if I just said that I can make it, if I just…" his voice trailed off, he felt a wing wrapping his back and soon Cynder showed herself next to him with her concerned emerald eyes focused on him telling him that it was not his fault "… He would be alive" Spyro sobbed once again

" Spyro you just batter yourself contemplating on this harrowing recurrence of Ignitus' passing." Volteer's quick words reached him " Our compunction constantly acquaints us whenever our companions distresses us with their actions. Procrastinate from hearing its hail, although not under any condition obliterate it absolutely"

" Why didn't you say so earlier?" Sparx exclaimed with faked irritation and enthusiasm

" That conscience" Cyril started speaking with his cold tone " was the reason that we made a proper funeral ceremony for you and Ignitus" he snorted, an icy mist escaped his nostrils " I hate to admit but it fooled also me, but you have to understand after two weeks without any sing of life from you we thought that you perished together with The Dark Master"

Terrador bowed his head apologetically " I'm ashamed for issuing such an order"

Spyro smiled weakly " No harm do-"

"Wait a moment!" Cynder exclaimed gaining everyone's attention "Did you say two weeks?" she furrowed a brow

" I knew you're deaf!" Sparx exclaimed and hovered next to her gesticulating angrily " It took you two long weeks to get here"

Cyril furrowed a brow " Why are you so surprised?"

Spyro frowned thoughtfully " Cynder's right, it's impossible that two weeks have passed"

"Why is that?"

" Because it took us a day to get here"

Cyril shook his head confidently " Impossible, you might still be dazed from all that power you released, after all The Dark Master was a powerful foe"

"Or…" Volteer joined the conversation completely excited " …it may mean that-"

" It's irrelevant" Terrador cut him off with a militant tone " Spyro and Cynder are here, the world is saved, Malefor is defeated and the Dark Army is gone from our city. This is no time for questions it is time for rest and both of you need it, but before you lay down I would advise to get rid of the last thing that reminds us of The Dark Master's influence" he pointed at the necklace in the shape of a snake on Cynder's neck "One of the blacksmiths should help you with that" Terrador grinned " Now get out of here and enjoy the rest of the day"

Both young dragons nodded and turned towards the exit.

" And where do you think you're going? Sparx asked indignantly " You think that I will leave you with her?" he quickly shook his head " No way, someone has to keep an eye on her, she's crazy" with that he hovered next to Spyro

"I'm not crazy, I'm special" Cynder grinned

Spyro smiled weakly " Great to have you on board again Sparx"

With that the two young dragons and a single dragonfly left the City Hall, a new age was dawning upon the Realms and for the first time in history it looked like it will be a peaceful one. There is nothing to threaten it after all.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The city didn't change much after Spyro's and Cynder's meeting with the Guardians. Debris was still covering the streets, the wall still had cracks in them, some of the buildings still laid in ruins. Even the noise in Warfang didn't change much. Hammers were still ringing on the stony walls, cranes were still grinding in effort as they carried massive stone blocks from one place to the other.

Shouts of annoyance, orders, grunts of pain and exhaustion bounced from wall to wall, just like this noise wanted to inform Warfang that it's doing everything in its power to help the city reach its good or even better shape. The residents were running, walking or flying through the many alleyways as they looked for the best suitable place to start their work.

Only one thing changed, in between the typical sound that accompanies every building site a cheerful, excited and even curious whispers could be heard. All of them were about Spyro and Cynder's great return. Gossip traveled through the city at the speed of light, which told about Spyro's gold heart, Cynder's evil personality, the adventures they had, or the mending of the world. Even more bawdy whispers could be heard by the more nosy inhabitants which involved the already mentioned young dragons.

Amidst the sound of repairs and running denizens a pair of two familiar male cheetahs could be seen descending some flight of stairs.

" Now I understand why you haven't contacted us for so long" Meadow said as his eyes followed a young yellow dragon running past by him.

" The last days were a nightmare, we were working all day and night to repair the damaged walls" Hunter replied as he stepped aside making room for a group of cheetahs who were carrying a cart up the stairs.

Meadow curiously looked at his partner " Do I hear your instinct talking?"

Hunter looked at the greenish ground just beyond the wall which could be seen from their position " Partly yes" he blinked and averted his gaze " I have to stay vigilant no matter what the situation is"

" The Dark Master is no more, can The Dark Army still be a threat?" Meadow narrowed his eyes on the feline next to him

" They are always a threat" Hunter replied confidently " You saw that with Malefor's disappearance the siege ended abruptly." he looked at the wall " The Dark Army will be back someday, that's why we can't allow ourselves even a moment of inattention"

Meadow chuckled " You sound just like Prowlus"

" That's an insult" Hunter smiled weakly " If I like it or don't he did manage to teach me a few things when I've spent most of my time in the village. Speaking of which, how is it faring?"

" It's quiet, it hadn't been like that for a long time, some of us are still adjusting to this serenity. Only the Chief remained the same" Meadow smiled weakly

Hunter nodded " That's good to hear"

" You should come back to our village" Meadow focused on his partner, a sly frown formed itself on his face " Some new cheetahs joined our little homestead"

Hunter scratched the falcon feather strapped on his brown coat " I don't… " his voice trailed off when he noticed a fairly empty alleyway " I need to talk to you" he opened his paw with his claws pointing at the previously mentioned alleyway. Meadow followed his lead silently.

"I've been thinking…" Hunter continued when they stopped between some buildings " The war, the siege, the Destroyer, and many other things revealed that I've been walking down a wrong road"

Meadow rearranged the feather falcon on his robe " Your fascination with the dragons is so overpowering?" he gave him a knowing smile

Hunter's ears flinched while he furrowed a brow in surprise " It's so obvious?"

Meadow laughed heartily " It's harder to spot Prowlus's angry expression"

" Then why did you tell me once that you didn't understand what is causing me to act as I do?"

Meadow looked at Hunter with a serious expression " Because back then I didn't and honestly I only understand it only partially today"

Hunter knew instantly when he took a glimpse of his eyes that he is waiting for answers. He sighed in awe " Dragons are magnificent creatures, they can harness every strand of magic just like our lungs accumulate air. We felines are simple, some bones, fur and claws without any potential for spells. Dragons however look like they've been weaved from magic itself"

Meadow stared at the feline in front of him in silence and with eyes completely lost in deep thought.

Without any interruptions Hunter continued in the same tone " I thought that I've seen everything, the absorption of Spirits Gems is still a mystery for me but I've learnt that forcefully pursuing things that seem to elude you on purpose leads nowhere" he looked behind his shoulder it seemed like his sight pierced through the wall of a nearby building just like he wanted to take a glimpse of something beyond it " Even if I believed that they both were special I was still astonished how they achieved their goal"

Meadow followed his gaze " They are full of surprises, aren't they?"

Hunter nodded and turned to face him " They are, and I feel that there is more of that to come"

" Perhaps" Meadow huffed and met his gaze with knowing eyes

Hunter looked at his friend with determination in his eyes " And I would like to experience it first hand when the time comes" he reached for his coat and tore off the falcon feather, he then extended his paw and presented the tuft of bird to the feline " I finally found the road I want to walk"

Meadow looked at Hunter's opened paw just to take a glimpse of his face before returning to his paw. With a smile he took a few steps and reached for the feather, he placed his paw on the tuft of bird but instead of taking it he reached for Hunter's fingers and clenched his fist. Meadow looked into his eyes while holding his clenched paw " No matter how far you will go from the intersection you are standing on right now, remember that in time of need your legs will always find a shortcut to the place from where you started and that place will always be in the same spot" his smile grew bigger before he released his paw

Hunter stared at Meadow with a confused look while his extended arm fell backwards just next to his side and his ears flattened on his skull " I don't understand, you accepted my decision so calmly, you are acting just like you…" he narrowed his eyes on the feline while his ears sprang to life once again " You knew the reason why I wanted to talk to you, didn't you?"

Meadow chuckled " I had my suspicions, the moment a dragon traveled through our village all those years ago you couldn't stop talking about him. Your recent assignments for the Guardians only confirmed my suspicions."

"You are not angry at all?"

Meadow shook his head confidently " Of course not, I'm proud of you actually, it's about time you pursued your fascination"

Hunter smiled gratefully " I'm glad I've talked with you, if I went to Prowlus directly… well let's just say that an another fight is the last thing I need"

" Probably you are right…" Meadow shrugged "…but that's the way he is. I'm sure however that The Chief will miss you in his own way, I'm sure I will, the rivalry between you two was most interesting" a corner of his mouth twitched into a sly smile

" He was never my rival"

"Literally maybe not, but you two grew together, you always competed between each other, one of you always wanted to be a step ahead than the second one. Eventually it led to a peculiar ending, Prowlus remained loyal to tradition while you took a more bizarre path for a cheetah. It was a very interesting dispute between two entirely different world-views."

" Don't understand me wrong, but I'm glad that it ended"

"I understand" Meadow smiled and placed his paw on Hunter's shoulder " Tell me, what a cheetah who found his calling will do now?"

Hunter looked around thoughtfully " First and foremost we need to finish rebuilding or even improving Warfang and that's going to take a while. After that…" he shrugged " I don't know really, maybe they are going to need a scout or a guard. We'll see."

" As long as you are happy I guess it doesn't matter" Meadow squeezed Hunter's shoulder " Make us proud and remember that you are always welcome in the village."

Hunter bowed his head " Thank you Meadow" as his head returned to its natural position he looked at the sky " This is where we have to say goodbye, my shift is starting soon and there is a lot of work to do"

With that both felines exchanged farewells and headed their own separate ways, As Hunter was slowly walking towards some flight of stairs he couldn't stop smiling. His wish is going to be fulfilled, he will stay here in the Dragon City. Even if it means hard work from the very beginning, he was content with it.

* * *

"… and that's when I showed them how it's done" Sparx flew right next to Spyro grinning proudly

" And they believed you just like that?" Spyro furrowed a brow as he threw an incredulous glance at the dragonfly

" Dude I'm a hero, when you were gone playing with that big evil dude, I've been working hard to keep my reputation"

" Your reputation?

Sparx hovered in front of his nose and spread his arms and moved them in a circular motions just like he tried to encircle the whole city " All of them were knocking at my door for an autograph, and the Great Glowing One has always time for his fans"

"Oh boy!" Cynder exclaimed with faked excitement " I didn't know that imaginary fans were so persistent"

Sparx frowned " Your good jokes are imaginary" he flew closer to Cynder and looked her straight into the eyes " Not my fault that I'm intelligent and good looking and find new friends easy. What about you? You have any or you already ate them?"

" Still one of them left" she stared at the dragonfly and licked her mouth

He quickly dashed towards Spyro and gulped " Bro, did you hear that? She wants to eat me!"

"Relax Sparx she's just joking" he gave Cynder a meaningful look " I think" he muttered

"Of course I'm kidding, I would never touch you, I still have some self-respect. Just thinking about you gives me the creeps, not to mention eating you…" Cynder shivered

"Yeah right!" Sparx exclaimed irritably " You would want to get your paws on The Great Glowing One, I can see it"

After a while the group descended the stairs with the same tone of conversation accompanying them until they arrived at the familiar fountain. However before heading lower Spyro impulsively looked to his side and noticed the huge temple " Sparx was there really a funeral when we haven't returned?" Spyro asked quietly while staring at the temple.

Sparx twitched for a brief moment but then regained his composure " Yeah there was, why do you ask?"

Spyro stared at the temple for a while in silence " There is something I need to do" with that he began moving towards the temple. Cynder and Sparx exchanged surprised looks between themselves before shrugging and following the young dragon.

Despite the overall debris scattered all around Warfang this particular landmark was mostly clean, only small remnants of rocks remained but they were tended to by some dragons already. The marble path was littered with dragon statues, every single one had a proud pose, a clear sign that this place should be respected. Between the statues stood gold poles, their top resembled a flat dish, a magically lit fire was burning on them, during the night the lanterns gave a strong glow illuminating the path and giving the marble statues an intimidating look. Some tress were rooted in the ground close to the road. Every now and then there was a gem placed in one of the sockets in the marble path in a crosswise manner, a triangular amethyst, emerald or sapphire was shimmering slightly from below one's paw.

Four side roads protruded from the main path, two were located just at the beginning, while the other two were near the end. Crystal clear water was flowing in the canal just below some small bridges which were created on the side roads. They all lead to small ponds with a pair of wooden benches placed on both its ends. Small gardens surrounded the temple's courtyards with different colored flowers growing in them, some cheetahs tenderly helped them to thrive. The colorful fish in the ponds, different flowers in the gardens, the statues and many other things created a striking feeling of tranquility.

A couple of steps down the marble road led the group to a round sturdy looking door which protected the temple from the havoc outside. The door just like almost everything else in the city were quite big. The border of the door was reinforced with gold rivets. Just like the road the surface of the door also contained some of the gems. Their flash was more visible thanks to the shadow cast by the huge statue looming over every visitor.

" I'd like to go inside alone" Spyro said quietly while staring into his own reflection in one of the gems

"You sure?" Cynder asked with uncertainty in her soft tone of voice " Maybe you'd like some company?"

"Sure bro go right in, we will wait here" Sparx said confidently.

The tone of his voice created a frown of surprise on Cynder's snout as she turned her head to look at the dragonfly "What? Did you just say that he can go inside ALONE?"

Sparx nodded " Yep"

She craned her neck forward " Alone, as ALONE?"

" Yep"

Cynder stared at him with her head slightly cocked to a side before she shook off a part of disbelief " Let me spell it out for you A-L-O-N-E"

" Boy" Sparx sighed " Your wit is amazing, no wonder Spyro keeps you around" he rolled his eyes

She ignored his sarcastic remark " You must understand my surprise"

He frowned " No, I don't"

" Oh come on, you must admit that you always want to be everywhere so everyone could see you tagging along with Spyro"

" I don't do that" Sparx folded his arms on his chest " and even if that was the truth so what? I'm always a helpful hand"

" More like a fifth wheel" Cynder smirked

He snorted " Whatever, but at least I know when to back down"

" Exactly!" she exclaimed " You never know when to back down"

" Crawl into some bush and die, will you?"

Cynder frowned " If you think that-"

" Thanks" Spyro icily cut them both off and pushed the door open using its silver handles

Just like in any other building in Warfang the temple's interior was huge. The first thing everyone noticed after entering was the colorful column of light illuminating the center of the temple. Following the stream of light upwards led to its source, there was a colorful stained glass inserted into the roof above, it depicted a flying dragon in a cloudless day. Many other stained glasses dotted the temple's wall, however they were much more smaller.

The floor was covered in the same marble road just like the courtyard, however this one had no gems inserted into it. On both sides of the interior there were long cavities carved into the floor which were filled with lazily flowing crystal water. The cavities started just on both sides of the entrance and ran through the whole temple until they disappeared into the far end wall of the building.

Similar braziers to the ones in the City Hall illuminated the interior, however for a building so big there was only a handful of them hanging on the walls and some columns. Instead of a blinding flame just like in the City Hall the fire here was weaker giving this place an atmospheric glow, the glow of peace, serenity and respect.

On both sides of the temple a pair of doors could be seen, Spyro didn't know for sure but if he had to guess he would say that they led to the two towers. A blue curtain with crosswise tied gold strings covered one of the entrances that could be seen on the far end of the building. Stairs were located behind it which led up to the living quarters of the temple caretakers. In the corner of the building was another entrance, this one however was wider than the previous one, a carved headstone in the stone wall above it was a sign that this is the final destination for every resident whose spirit decided to leave this world, willingly or not. This was the way to the Catacombs.

All those thing however were unimportant for Spyro, the dragon statues standing near the wall on both sides of the temple was what really interested him. All of them were made out from pure marble, the white color was almost blinding, they weren't made by amateurs either, one glimpse was enough to notice it. Every grimace, every small detail was carefully shaped so the visitor could feel that he is actually standing before a live dragon.

The dragon statues depicted drakes whose deeds were far more greater than that of a common dragon. Below every statue there was a slab of stone inserted into the floor with the name of the deceased written on it and many burning candles standing on the slab's top. By lighting up a candle visitors paid respect to the dead. Spyro knew just like any other dragon that this was a very special place for his kind, however he never felt the urge to be in here, it was sad of course that the dragons which the statues represented were dead but their names were unfamiliar to him, so he didn't understand how lighting up a candle for a dragon you never knew would help him. For him one should pay his respects because he feels he needs to, not because somebody else tells you to do so.

However after the recent events Spyro felt the urge to come here, he needs closure and this is the best place to find it, at least he hoped so. With uncertain steps he made his way towards the only statue he recognized from afar. It took a while but eventually Spyro sat before the artificial dragon, with his head hanging low. The shame and guilt he felt didn't allow him to rise his head, even if he tried to ignore these feelings Spyro couldn't force himself to look into the statues lifeless eyes. The writing carved with gold letters on the slab's surface which read _Ignitus, The Fire Guardian_ were enough for him to say that he found the right dragon.

" Hi Ignitus" Spyro said with a wavering voice, his gaze was still fixed on the ground. " I've just came here to say hello and… " he sighed sadly "…I don't know what to say" his voice trailed off

After a while of silent staring at the ground Spyro continued with the same hurt tone " You always said that when dragons die they join The Ancestors and become part of this world. That's a good thing right?" only the gentle sound of the flowing water in the nearby canal was his answer " So if we really become a part of this world after our death then that means we are not really dead, right? So it means that you are still alive, watching me right now and probably laughing happily" Spyro smiled weakly but momentarily his smile faded " Who am I kidding?" he muttered to himself

Another moment of silence surrounded him, Spyro's own slow breath was the only sound that echoed throughout the temple " You've taught me everything I know" he sighed sadly " and from all the lessons this one is the hardest… and…and " he sobbed " I don't think I can do it" a single tear fell from his snout, and Spyro's amethyst eyes followed it until it splattered on the ground below.

_Water splashed on the young purple dragon's snout obscuring all the view for a brief moment, he didn't mind however, with a happy laugh he spun around splashing the water using his tail in front of him. A low chuckle could be heard after his move, then soon after another splash of water hit the young drake's snout. _

_When a red paw prepared to strike again Spyro quickly jumped on his belly, only his gold horns remained above the shallow water, the moment he felt another splatter of water pass above his head he jumped quickly on his paws dragging his purple wings behind him, the simple move allowed him to splash a larger amount of water towards his opponent. A gasp of surprise confirmed that his unexpected strike was successful._

_Spyro shook his head making drops of water fly everywhere before he bent on his paws, narrowed his amethyst eyes on the red dragon ahead and grinned proudly. The red drake shook his head to get rid of the water from his snout while chuckling and smiling approvingly under his nose. The red dragon's eyes flared up for a brief moment when he noticed the challenging glare in his young pupil's orbs._

_Even if this was just a game the old drake allowed his temper to take control for a second which created a smirk on his red snout. He stomped his paw creating some ripples on the surface of the water which seemed to distract the young dragon. The moment he noticed that the old drake used his second front paw and a single wing to splash water towards his young pupil._

_Spyro glittered with pride, he knew exactly that Ignitus is stomping his paw just to distract him, the surprise back then was nothing more than an act and it looked like he managed to fool his mentor once again. Before the water could reach him Spyro was already out of the way by sidestepping quickly. While he moved to the side he dragged his tail alongside the bottom and swung it when he was a safe distance from the incoming water, this move created quite a big splatter that was directed at the red dragon._

_Spyro didn't see it but Ignitus nodded his head slightly just like in approval. The water splashed on his snout and a victorious cry could be heard moments later. The red dragon shook his head while smiling with _gladness_. " You are challenging life, toying with fate. It's a very curious and fascinating path Spyro"_

_The purple dragon snickered haughtily " I don't care about fate, I do what I want!"_

_Ignitus adopted a more serious look " You might ignore it, you might elude it, but eventually fate will catch up with you and it will announce itself in the most painful manner"_

_The old dragon closed his eyes much to Spyro's surprise, however that was the least of his worries. The ground below his paws was getting warmer together with the water. It wasn't long before Spyro's eyes widened in shock as he noticed that the water began to boil. Soon the heat slightly stung his paws but it was enough to make him jump, he kept jumping until the water felt a bit cooler. _

_With a completely shocked expression he looked at his mentor but instead of seeing the red dragon he noticed a quite large portion of water heading his way. It was too late, Spyro only managed to gasp before the water reached him and pinned the young dragon to the ground._

_Ignitus moved closer to his pupil who was laying on the ground, dripping wet and coughing " This is destiny Spyro" Ignitus said with full of awe voice " It's unavoidable, attempts to trick it may have the most unwanted consequences"_

_Spyro shook his head " I don't understand" he coughed " if destiny works that way then it means that we have no freedom of choice?"_

_Ignitus smiled kindly " We are not slaves, it's only up to us how we reach our destination. Fate is not cruel, however it can be brutal."_

"_Then why it punishes us for ignoring it?"_

"_It's not a punishment but a test, you must be able to withstand the difficulties it presents before you"_

_Spyro averted his gaze and began to stare at the water below him. After a while he frowned " No, I don't agree with this" he looked at the Fire Guardian with fiery eyes " we are nobody's playthings. If destiny wants to control us then I will find a way to stop it!" he exclaimed confidently_

_Ignitus nodded his head admiringly " A noble cause but an impossible one to achieve, everything that begins has to end, you can't stop time forever. Look" Ignitus pointed at the stream of water flowing from one side of the river to the other " Imagine that this is our line of life which can be longer or shorter for every one of us but it always ends in the same way. Just like a river"_

_Spyro got up and began following his mentor's claw with his eyes._

_When his pupil stood next to him Ignitus continued "This is a perfect destiny, it starts from one point and ends on the other without anything interrupting it. However life doesn't work that way" the dragon stomped his paw, creating ripples on the surface of the water " Life is bumpy, our fears, happiness, sadness, basically all our emotions make life more interesting for better or worse" _

_Spyro cocked his head " Then to make our life easier we just need to stop worrying about things?"_

_Ignitus chuckled " To make it possible you will need to tear off your heart. I'm old but I never met a person who was still breathing without his heart" he coughed and adopted a more serious look soon after " However this leads to our next step" he dragged closer a couple of stones using his tail and placed one of them in the water which split the stream in two directions " Without our heart we wouldn't be able overcome obstacles on our path"_

_Ignitus picked up a nearby leaf and threw it into the water which started to flow with the stream " Everyone reaches a point in his life where he will have to rely on his feelings" the leaf stopped on the rock " Spyro one day you will have to make a decision which might affect the world and everyone else around you. Your heart will be your guide, listen to it carefully because there is no turning back"_

_Spyro gulped " That sounds important I…I don't want to make such choices" he said with a glimmer of fear in his voice_

_Ignitus placed a couple more stones into the water and pushed the leaf to a side so it started to flow again before he looked at the young dragon with eyes of a caring father " Unfortunately you will have to. Spyro the prophecy spoke of you and as our savior you will need to make more of these choices than everyone else" he began to maneuver the leaf through the stones " Some of these choices will be good" he moved the leaf down a path with a small number of stones on it " or bad" he pushed the leaf down a path where the number of stones was higher " You have to carry on, no matter what happens. Everyone make mistakes, nobody is perfect."_

_Spyro swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly_

_Ignitus looked at him with concerned eyes " Don't be afraid Spyro, you are not alone" he dropped some smaller leafs into the water " As I said, destiny has a plan for every one of us and sometimes…" he pushed some of the leafs near the first one "…sometimes our paths intertwine. If fate wishes it you will meet on your journey companions who will follow you no matter what, helping you to overcome the more difficult obstacles"_

_Ignitus' expression became more serious " Now I want you to focus" he said with a firm tone " this is the lesson I want you to remember for the rest of your life" he picked a stone " As you remember some destinies are shorter than the others, your companions have fates of their own and sometimes you are the reason for their demise" he dropped the stone_

_Spyro followed the falling stone just like in slow motion and the moment it splashed into the water squashing one leaf below it he jerked back " No!" he exclaimed angrily " I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me!"_

" _You have to understand that-"_

" _No!" Spyro cut off the Fire Guardian " I'm sorry Ignitus but if that's the price then I don't want to have anything to do with the prophecy"_

_The Fire Guardian watched his pupil with fatherly eyes and waited for him to calm down "You have to understand that sometimes it's not your decision to make" he said softly_

" _I won't allow anyone to sacrifice his life for me!"_

" _Sometimes it's necessary"_

" _It can't be necessary, I would help them!"_

" _Sometimes you cannot"_

" _But…but…" Spyro stared at the leafs below him in complete silence for a brief moment until a resigned sigh escaped him " How am I supposed to live with such a guilt?"_

" _You have to stop blaming yourself" Ignitus replied firmly_

" _I can't just simply forget"_

" _We are warriors, death is our stalker, there is no escape from it" the red dragon threw Spyro an apprehensive look " You can't swim upstream, allow the tide to carry you, otherwise the guilt will eat you alive" he craned his neck forward " Do you understand?"_

_Spyro nodded_

"_I want to hear you say it, don't repeat my mistakes. Do you understand?" Ignitus asked resolutely_

" _I understand" the young drake blurt out breezily_

" _Good" the Fire Guardian smiled " Obstacles aren't the only things that you will meet on your path. Fate can be also generous, it will present you an opportunity to help you fill that void which you will feel after a loss. It's up to you to notice it and grab it. Remember that." _

_Spyro nodded once again_

_Ignitus smile grew wider " But let's forget about the future for a while and concentrate on the present. I believe I owe you something" with that he splashed some water on the young drake's snout._

Spyro stared at the ground while another tear fell from his snout and splattered almost in the same place. He sighed sadly " I'm sorry Ignitus but I can't do it, I'm just so sorry" he took a shallow breath " If not for me you would still be alive, there had to be an another way. Why did you push me ahead when you knew that we wouldn't make it. Why did you leave me alone, why?…" his voice trailed off

Tears started to flow down from his eyes, but these weren't entirely tears of sadness, he felt depressed but also anger boiled inside of him, anger so fierce that it practically blocked all other emotions. Spyro was mad on Malefor, on himself and especially on the Fire Guardian, he just couldn't bottle up the resentment any longer.

Spyro looked at the statue with fiery eyes " Why have you left me?!" he exclaimed loudly releasing all the anger in one single shout " Why did you make such a stupid move?! I need you, you hear me?! I need you! How am I supposed to live with this guilt?! Answer me!" he looked around " If you are there, answer me!" no voice could be heard

" That's right don't say anything just leave me alone" Spyro looked again at the statue " You know what? Screw your lessons and screw you too, if you want to stay silent, fine! I'm going to remain here blaming myself for everything! We will see how you like that! Ha!"

He kept staring at the statue but after a while Spyro lowered his head and sobbed " I didn't mean to… I'm sorry, it's just that… Ignitus I need help" he sighed " I can't do it" he looked at the statue" Where is that opportunity you spoke off? How am I going to find it? What can possibly replace you?"

" There you are" a familiar female voice came from behind him

Spyro looked behind his shoulder and winced " Cynder? What are you… Why aren't you outside?"

She kept walking towards him and shrugged " I've got bored"

" I've said that I want to be alone" he replied indignantly

" Yeah?" Cynder sat next to him " Sue me" she gave him a challenging look

Spyro rolled his eyes and shook his head " Why you never listen to me?"

" Guess Grumpy"

" Cynder I know we are friends but you worry too much about me"

" Worry?" she snorted " Don't flatter yourself. The Great Glowing One is getting on my nerves, some minutes longer out there and your parents would call you their only child"

Spyro chuckled, even smiled despite the sadness " That's Sparx what can you do? I'm surprised that he didn't come with you"

Cynder shrugged " Dunno, he probably didn't find a window to squeeze through. Good riddance"

He kept watching her and the longer he did that he started to realize that he treated her too roughly when she came here " I'm sorry Cynder you are my friend I shouldn't treat you like that"

She smiled lovingly " No harm done"

" And thanks" Spyro said with a grateful tone

Cynder giggled " Don't mention it" she looked around " What is this place? I've never been here before"

" Me neither, but Ignitus mentioned something about this temple once. This is a place where people can pay respects to fallen dragons, but not any dragon mind you. Only the most special of our kind, the ones who did something exceptional for the world or our race are honored here."

Cynder nodded and looked at the statue " Sorry Ignitus for interrupting, but it's not my fault that you haven't taken care of our most annoying member. They would build a monument for you after that."

Spyro smiled weakly " He won't answer"

She looked at him " But that doesn't mean he can't hear" Cynder's eyes widened for a brief moment when her eyes noticed something behind him " You don't recognize any other dragon here?"

Spyro shook his head " Nope"

" You sure?" she nodded her head towards the way she was looking

Spyro furrowed a brow but followed her lead. He gasped when he noticed the same thing she did " What?" he asked with disbelief in his voice and got up quickly

What got their whole attention was an another statue, but this one was different than the others, it looked like the rest of course, stone and all that but it depicted a still living dragon instead of a dead one. The inscription on its pedestal spoke volumes _Spyro The Savior._ Just like any other statue this one was also made by a talented sculptor, every grimace and every muscle could be clearly seen just like Spyro would be posing before the artist right now. The statue had a proud expression on its stony snout, a look of victory.

The artificial Spyro had one of his front paws placed on a round block that was carved and shaped so it resembled the head of a golem, it looked like the head of The Destroyer. Its stony wings were widely spread and just under its membranes one could see different carvings which pictured the most recognizable landmarks of the Realms. For example Warfang was represented by a single building which looked like the City Hall and a wall protecting it with a tiny form of the cannon placed on top of it.

There were many candles burning below the statue, no other statue had so many. All of them looked like they were just lit, it seems that all of the city residents paid their respects to their hero and to show just how indebted they are they don't allow any candle to die down.

Spyro stared at his stony twin with wide eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It didn't surprise him that his statue was here, he saved the world and was considered dead after all. However a feeling of dread filled him just by looking at the statue and the candles below it, people here consider him to be a hero, their savior, this and Meadow's words back in the village made him realize once more just how high expectations are placed on him. It was enough to make him gulp in fear.

Cynder threw a glance at the statue, then quickly looked at Spyro, just to return to the statue moments later before finishing at Spyro while cocking her head and furrowing a brow " Just how many children do your parents have? Because we just found your twin brother" she looked back at the statue " He's a little rough around the edges and quite stiff but I still like him better than that little glowing annoying brother of yours"

Spyro didn't answer he was staring at the statue in complete silence

Cynder looked back at his friend " Why the long face? It's a family reunion you should be happy"

" Thanks for trying" he replied coldly

She sighed, she knew him well enough that a single glance was enough for her to figure out what he was thinking " Spyro you should be proud" her voice was soft this time

" Proud?" he blurt out contemptuously "Of what? Of the constant praising? Or the high expectations?"

" What about saving thousands of lives?"

Spyro sighed, it wasn't pride but despite everything that single thought made him feel at least a bit more happy " I'm glad that our actions saved lives but… but Cynder I've never asked for this. Why they can't just simply… forget about everything?"

Cynder smiled lovingly " You want to say that they should forget about the one who saved this world? Protected their children?" she chuckled " Try again"

" Ok, maybe I did something special but that doesn't mean I want to be their hero or a leader, I just want to be myself without the reputation or crowds standing at the temple door waiting in line to light a candle in my name"

" Spyro I don't understand you, I know that being someone's role model might be a little overwhelming but you have people who will remember you after your death. People who will tell stories to their children about the purple dragon who mended the world. Some…" she looked around sadly "…some of us won't even get that"

Spyro understood the tone of her voice perfectly, he looked at her with concerned eyes " Let them talk, we both know the truth"

Cynder sighed sadly " The truth lies in between they say. I can live with the taunts and angry looks directed at me I deserve it anyway but… but it would be nice to know that people will light a candle for me out of their own free will"

" Cynder you deserve to be here more than I do, there would be no Spyro if not for you"

She smiled weakly " We both know that's a lie" her smile disappeared " It may be stupid since I will be long gone by then but a thought of someone noticing my name inscribed somewhere which would trigger even a tiny bit of sadness in that person is a comforting thought"

" So let's show them just how important you are" With a smile Spyro started to scratch the stone next to the statue with his claw. While he was doing it Cynder watched him in complete silence. It took him a while but eventually the scratches formed a sentence which said: _Cynder The reason of my existence. _After that Spyro placed a couple of the fresher candles above the inscription.

Tears shone in Cynder's eyes as she looked at Spyro " Thank you" she whispered before she turned her head to look at the candles. Watching the dancing flames in complete silence was how they've spent their time.

* * *

Sparx dashed towards the slowly opening temple door "Finally!" he exclaimed in relief " You took a nap in there or what?"

" Sorry about that " Spyro replied " Why haven't you joined us?"

" Dude you said that you wanted to be alone so I stayed, besides I needed to take a break from your Second Tail"

Cynder closed her eyes " This is a fine day, Fifth Wheel is not here" she opened one of her eyes and looked at Sparx before closing it again " This is a fine day, Fifth Wheel is not here" she repeated the same move several more times

Sparx clapped his hand " Great everyone is happy so how about we get out of here?" he quickly turned around and began to fly away.

Just as they were traveling through the courtyard a dragoness wearing clean white robes was just passing them " Ancestors guide you" she bowed her head

" Ancestors guide you " both dragons replied and repeated the gesture

The caretaker looked at Sparx " Will you be joining us today?"

The dragonfly jerked back in surprise " Me? Why?"

" Haven't you visited us recently?"

" I have no idea what are you talking about, sorry." He looked at the pair of young dragons " Remember what the Big Guy said? Let's go" he flew away

Both dragons shrugged and exchanged another nods with the female dragoness and followed the dragonfly. It was time to get rid of the last thing that reminded them of The Dark Master.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The sun had enough, after hours of hard labor it was beginning to feel sleepy, it yawned when it hid behind a cloud only to emerge soon after. However it couldn't pretend to be alright, its weak rays betrayed it just like tired eyes betray an exhausted person. With an another yawn the sun slowly began to retreat to its safe haven behind the horizon much to the sky's displeasure, however where one takes a break another takes his place, the moon was waking to take over the duties of his brother. The sky rejoiced, offering the moon many smaller glowing colleagues to keep it company while it graced the sky with its majestic presence.

The same lethargic atmosphere has befallen on Warfang just like the Dragon City wanted to keep up with the things that had been happening above it. The alleyways were slowly becoming gloomy as the sun's rays were slowly leaving Warfang's marble paths and brownstone walls. Many residents decided to follow the yellow beam's advice, the city was slowly becoming quiet as the workers began leaving their tools in a safe place. It was one of these hours when the city's streets were becoming crowded with different species, however this time the streets echoed with happy conversations and sighs of relief, instead of orders and grunts of pain and exhaustion.

There were also those who resisted the sun's luring call, they kept slamming their hammers on the walls while some others were dragging carts filled with debris across streets. If some stranger would see this picture he or she would never believe that the city was slowly retreating for the much deserved rest. Two young dragons and a dragonfly listened to the workers rather that the sky above them, and they were not the only ones, judging by the crowd located on the first level there were also many others who remained deaf to the sky's call.

Despite the fact that it was getting dark the first level of the city was still pretty crowded, especially the thick brownstone wall attracted the most attention. Even if the war was over, the past events taught the people of the Realms that an attack may come in the most unexpected moment, hence the increased number of soldiers on the wide ramparts.

Besides the guards there were also many civilians walking back and forth from the marketplace or visiting the still opened workshops. The group had one goal in mind- to find someone who can remove the silver yet still slightly magical necklace from around both young dragon's necks. Following Terrador's advice the best place to find such a person was to find a smithy. Warfang didn't change much after both dragons visited it for the last time, however during the war some workshops were abandoned or relocated to some other places. Knowing that it would take them a while to find a blacksmith they decided that the best way was to let Sparx take the lead, after all the dragonfly was here longer than they had so he definitely knows about a shortcut or two.

As they walked the streets Cynder kept looking around, but she was not interested in the debris, or the ongoing repairs, what really interested her were the many glances which the inhabitants of Warfang threw Spyro. Their looks were full of gratefulness, happiness, hope and pride, however their expressions changed drastically when they noticed her following the purple dragon. Cynder could see that all of these good emotions vanished instantly just to be replaced by sheer anger, hate, disdain and insolence. Part of her was in pain when she had seen those faces which only reminded the black dragoness of her dark past and the horrible things she had done. However the angry faces not only woke her guilt but also stirred Cynder's fighting spirit which demanded that she will face these taunts. And that was exactly what she had done, with her head held up high she walked slowly down the street behind her friends much to the crowd's displeasure.

Thanks to Sparx' guidance they've located the blacksmith with much ease. It was a simple building with a single door which were wide open and some windows. During colder seasons all the work regarding the creation and selling of weapons and armor is done inside while during the warmer times all the blacksmithing is done outside. A small wooden fence surrounded the store which prevented some more clumsy residents or children from hurting themselves. It was a necessary precaution since the outer place of the store was filled with everything that a good blacksmith needs like: a barrel of water, a furnace, a grindstone and an anvil. Not to mention the many tools and other sharp finished and unfinished pieces of weaponry hanging above the furnace or lined up against a wall.

A warmer climate has reached this part of the Dragon Realms that's why all the work was taking place outside the store. The anvil was tended by a burly looking mole who was currently busy forming a sword. Expect for the typical goggles and short yellow pants the mole wore absolutely nothing, he had to adapt to the heat somehow. The blacksmith was different than the other male moles Cynder saw, even if his back was facing them she could see how his muscles bulged under the black coat on his back as he worked. It was strange since most moles were slim and looked quite frail, no wonder since most of their lives they dedicate to study and invention, but this particular mole looked like he has spent his entire life near an anvil. With such powerful muscles this blacksmith might as well be able to lift a young dragon above his head such as herself or Spyro.

" Told you that I'll find it!" Sparx grinned with pride

" No wonder you remembered where this place was, it's not that hard to miss" Cynder replied with dumbfounded voice as she stared at the mole with wide eyes

" Thanks Sparx, you are the best" Spyro patted his brother on the back before he approached the blacksmith " Hello, could you help us?"

An incoherent grunt from the blacksmith was all that Spyro managed to get

" You see, we have a problem and we've wondered if you have the right tools to help us"

The mole replied in the same manner

Cynder craned her neck towards Spyro " He could probably rip this necklace with his bare hands" she whispered

Spyro looked at her with a corner of his eye before concentrating on the smith " Terrador told us that you might know a way how can we get rid of this necklace"

Another incoherent grunt could be heard

Cynder looked at the dragonfly " Sparx get over here!"

The dragonfly flew closer with a surprised look on his face " Yeah?"

" You will be our translator"

"Me?"

Cynder nodded " Yeah, that guy over there makes no sense, so seeing that you have a thing in common I thought that you might be able to help us here" she smirked

Sparx burst out with a faked laughter before looking at the dragoness with an angry frown " Hilarious"

Spyro chuckled and shook his head before focusing on the blacksmith again " So at least could you show us who might be able to remove this from our necks?" he slid a claw under the necklace and arched it forward so the mole could see what he is talking about

The blacksmith grunted once again but this time he pointed at the opened door with his free hand

Spyro followed the mole's lead and headed for the door " Hello? Is there anyone-"

"I'm coming! Please wait!" an excited shout came from the interior of the building

Soon another mole emerged from the store, however he wasn't dressed like the other moles they met so far. Instead of the typical goggles he wore a single reading glass on his right eye, a stroker hat with a silver feather on top of it could be seen on his head. What was more peculiar- the mole didn't wear the usual outfit workers or blacksmiths do, a quite expensive looking red shirt with silver buttons and a slight neckline covered his chest, below it a white vest could be seen. Pants of the same color protected his short legs which ended with a pair of golden boots on his paws with some holes in them so the mole's claws could easily protrude from the shoes. The outlines of his shirt and pants were covered with gold fringes. The mole looked more like a merchant than a laborer or a blacksmith for that matter.

" Who do we have here?" the shopkeeper asked while rubbing the single glass on his nose " A customer!" he exclaimed excited " and one of great renown no less! Dear friend ask, ask and I'll provide!"

" Umm… we already asked your friend over there if-"

A sudden outburst of laughter cut Spyro off " Asked you say?" the mole coughed and rubbed the reading glass on his nose before regaining his composure " Hogger there is not a mole of many words but the things he can make by using that hammer " he sighed in awe " Simply brilliant"

" I don't doubt that, however we are only interested in-"

The mole clapped his hand startling Spyro " In the best things of course! My friend you've came to the right place!" the merchant exclaimed loudly gaining the attention of the nearby passers-by before he disappeared into the store. He momentarily returned carrying a piece of armor with him " This particular piece of draconic armor would suit you perfectly!" he ran his paw alongside its surface " Pure achromantine with a delicate layer of silver. See how it shines? That's because my dear friend achromantine is no ordinary metal. it can be harvested, yes harvested. not mined! Only in the most brightest places in Munitions Forge, it grows in the deepest parts of the mountain where the walls are the most jagged. That's why it is so special, I don't have to tell you that light is very difficult to come by below ground. that's why my friend say thanks to your Ancestors for the lava, without it this beauty would never exist."

Spyro managed only to open his mouth and the mole continued his story " Not to mention that it looks like glass. Why the layer of silver you ask? Because my friend this magical metal is quite frail that's why the smiths add silver so it won't shatter after a powerful blow. Not very useful for common soldiers but for dragons…" the mole inhaled deeply " It's made for dragons! You are airborne creatures and this wonderful piece of work deflects arrows and spells with ease! The most famous wind dragons wore them, don't believe me? Just ask Volteer!"

" No, you don't understand, we-"

The mole clapped his hands once again cutting Spyro off " You are right of course! A single armor is of no use, we need a complete set!" the mole dashed inside and soon returned with a helmet " Do you see the clearly thicker upper part? Steel, steel and once again steel mixed with adamantine. This two metals make the upper part of the helmet extremely tough, its ideal for diving from the sky and wreaking havoc among the enemy ranks. However such a heavy piece of armor would overburden your neck."

The mole pointed at the bottom and the inner side of the helmet " That's why the lower part of this piece is made from a different metal. Now we never found the proper name for this metal but its popularly called feather. Extremely light and for a metal quite flexible. This kind of alloy presented it the helmet allows the user to ram his opponents with these two powerful horns with ease while granting a good protection from the incoming strikes and allows its wearer to move his head freely without any encumbrance. Commonly used by the War Dragons during the recent battles, so as you can see my friend this helmet is only for the best!"

" That's very interesting but-"

The merchant repeated the same move again " My dear friends!" he exclaimed loudly " We've got here a dragon who knows what he is looking for! That's the spirit! A good customer knows when he is satisfied! Moment!" the mole dashed once again into the building, when he was gone Spyro looked at his friends with tired and pleading eyes but they just shrugged simultaneously. Soon the merchant returned with another piece of armor.

" Since dragons don't use weapons we invented this special 'gloves'. As we know claws are your swords and to make use of them you need to raise your paws, powerful but leaves you vulnerable. But no worries my dear friend, we found a solution for this inconvenience! This plate 'gloves' will fit your paws perfectly, they are also reinforced with the previously mentioned feather at the most crucial joints where they meet with your shoulders and waist. We also added some extremely sharp spikes on its ends, an enemy tries to hold your paw or is trying to bring you down? No problem! Just yank your foreleg and he will be gone in no time!"

" Remember the claws we mentioned? Look at this" the mole pointed at the bottom side of the 'gloves' where a bunch of dark plates were protruding which looked like claws. " Hematite my dear friend, an iron ore melted with obsidian, a difficult combination to achieve but Munitions Forge is renowned for its great smiths! Tough and thanks to the magical potential of this world sharp as the most deadly blade! One slash, one slash my friend and your enemy will be rolling on the ground trying to hold his guts from falling out! It goes without saying that this masterpiece was used in the war right? It doesn't need any better advertisement!"

"I'm sure they are all very useful but listen-"

" But that's not everything! I hear you! A moment please!" the mole once again disappeared into the shop and returned carrying yet another quite thin and long piece of armor " This particular piece will suit your tail perfectly, the same alloy like in the upper part of the previously presented helmet was used to create it, however as you can see there are added some extremely sharp spikes on the top of the armor and some blades at both its sides, for those dragons who don't have natural spines. And these babies are sharp as a tip of a spear, rings a bell? Of course it does!" he traced his claw delicately across the armor's surface " The same alloy that was used to create our claws plus the alloy that was used to create the upper part of the helmet allowed to achieve a most deadly combination! Ideal for those battles when you have to face multiple fast enemies who just can't wait to stab you in the back, a perfect protection for those expected…" he threw Cynder a quick glance "…and surprise attacks" the mole focused his gaze on Spyro " One swing of your tail will be enough to teach these dirty fighters to never try such a move again! A famous artist created a painting on which Ignitus himself, may he rest in peace, defeats overwhelming waves of enemies with this beauty on his tail. True story not a fiction! If you don't believe me just seek out the artist, he will tell you everything"

The mole clapped his hands obviously content with his monolog " So my dear friend, anything that catches your eye?" he grinned

Spyro sighed in relief, the introduction is finally over " These things look really, really great but we need something of umm… less militaristic value. We-"

" Life and soul of the party I see!" the merchant exclaimed loudly cutting Spyro off once again " And what a dragon of your stature is looking for? Distinguished armor to impress the ladies? Or perhaps a crown which will intimidate the honorable Guardians themselves?"

Sparx' bored eyes sparkled with interest " A crown you say?" he approached the mole " Is there a one which would fit me?"

"Sparx" Spyro hissed with a rather scoldful tone

" What?" the dragonfly blurt out indignantly "I would look great in a crown" he adopted a proud posture

" You know, to be a leader you need respect and be well…" Cynder looked the dragonfly over " quite bigger" she winced " Nobody needs a king who looks like an insect"

Sparx turned to face the dragoness with an angry frown " You know what would be the first thing I would do as a king? I would lock up every evil looking and big- headed dragoness."

Spyro rolled his eyes " Cut it out, both of you" he focused on the merchant " Don't listen to him, he's just kidding about the crown"

"Perhaps, but I would support his first move" the mole muttered to himself while eyeing Cynder

"Hey!" she exclaimed angrily "I've heard that!"

Sheer anger filled Spyro when the mole said that, but he had to bottle it up for the time being, he might be the only one who can help them with their problem " Anyway, we came here to ask for your help" he arched the necklace forward " Can you remove it?"

The mole clapped his hands " Why didn't you say so earlier my friend? I wouldn't waste your time" he took the necklace in his hands " Another lock got stuck probably, let me take a look and we will take care of it" he began running his claw alongside its surface " Now where are you… wait a minute " he rubbed the glass on his nose and began inspecting the necklace more closely " This is no ordinary jewelry. Hogger get over here!"

The burly mole left the already finished sword on a nearby table and approached the merchant

"Look" the shopkeeper arched the necklace towards the blacksmith

The muscled mole took the necklace in his hands, began inspecting it and grunted something incoherently

" Clearly magical"

The blacksmith grunted something again

The shopkeeper jerked back startled leaving the necklace in the other mole hands " You are right!" he exclaimed and took the amulet into his hands again

Sparx furrowed a brow " This actually works?" with that he began flying in circles around Cynder while grunting something incoherently

" Will you shut up already?" she hissed angrily after a short while

" Hey it does!" Sparx exclaimed happily

" Dark magic" the merchant huffed in awe " Faint but still dark magic "

The burly mole grunted something while releasing the amulet before he returned to the anvil

The shopkeeper looked at Spyro curiously " What did you do to earn this prize?" the moment Spyro opened his mouth the mole waved his hand dismissively " Don't answer I don't want to know" he shook his head " I don't envy you my friend, to be shackled and see things that you would never like to see must be horrible"

Sparx looked at the black dragoness next to him " I know something about this"

Cynder frowned and poked her tongue at the dragonfly after understanding his sarcastic remark

" I know this is not your usual line of work " Spyro said apologetically " but are you able to remove it?"

The mole clapped his hands in excitement " My dear friend for everything you have done for us I would even figure out a way to move a mountain if you just asked. Normally we wouldn't be able to remove the necklace but today is your lucky day my friend! I have the right tool for the job! Moment!"

The mole as always jumped into the building and returned seconds later but this time he was holding a red simple hand axe. " Behold!" he exclaimed loudly with palpable excitement, drawing the crowd that surrounded the store a bit closer.

Cynder jerked her head back in surprise " An axe?"

The mole shook his finger at her " This is no ordinary axe, don't let it mild appearance fool you, this is the most destructive weapon ever created!" he touched the tip of the axe admiringly " This is my dear friend a metal known as orichalc, it is also called a Fire Shard. I agree that it doesn't make a good first impression but orichalc is the most destructive metal our Ancestors discovered. It cuts through everything steel, iron, magical, non-magical, stone, you name it! It's unstoppable!"

The merchant started to examine the axe " As much as it is dangerous it is also very fragile, a couple of swings and this thing breaks" the mole shrugged " You can't have everything" the merchant cleared his throat " You know the reason why I said that you are lucky is that the orichalc is considered depleted, nobody saw it for thousand of years."

The mole sighed sadly " Our Ancestors also made mistakes, back then they didn't know that orichalc flourishes only in handful of places all around the world, they believed that it could be found in every mine, you just need to dig deep enough. The moment they discovered its properties they began mining the metal relentlessly until they exhausted all of its veins. Normally nothing's wrong with that, when you exhaust a vein you just need to give the stone some time to regenerate, but it was a different story with orichalc. You see I believe that it isn't called a Fire Shard for nothing, I think that when our Ancestors exhausted the veins they extinguished the spark within them, killing the stone in a way as a result."

The mole grinned " You have to understand my shock when I found a chunk of it laying on the ground where the mine once was. You know that orichalc was found in caves below the volcanos? They have been dormant for years but I think that they erupted for the last time when the spark of the Fire Shard was extinguished, destroying the mines in the process in revenge."

Spyro stared at the mole with wide eyes " Wow" he sighed in awe " That's very interesting, I didn't know such metal existed myself" he looked at the axe " So you say this can solve our problem?"

The merchant nodded confidently " Precisely" he patted a single slab of stone laying on the ground " Just put your head here and Hogger will take care of the rest.

"Sure"

"Now if you'll excuse me" the shopkeeper gave the axe to the burly mole and went into the store

" Wait" Cynder whispered as she quickly jumped towards Spyro " You sure about this?"

Spyro threw her an surprised look " What's the matter Cynder?"

" I.. I mean… Just look at the guy" she nodded towards the blacksmith who was swinging the axe in the air just like he tried to get accustomed with it " He doesn't strike me as a mole who cares about safety"

He chuckled " You think what? That he is going to chop my head off or something? He will probably just cut the necklace delicately"

" Ohh I don't think that he knows what delicately means"

Spyro smiled comfortingly " Cynder relax, he knows what he is doing"

She snorted quietly " Yeah, easy for you to say, you won't get beheaded since you are the hero and all, but me…well as we both know people here are not my biggest fans, he might _accidently_ miss"

Sparx approached them with a wicked grin on his face " Owwww our little evil dragoness is scared"

" I'm not scared… I'm just taking precautions that's all"

" As always"

" Come on guys relax, as I said he will cut the necklace and not try to chop it off" Spyro scoffed and smiled " Please tell them" he looked at the blacksmith, his eyes shot wide open and his smile disappeared momentarily when he saw as the mole swung the axe vertically and split a huge round boulder with a chain wrapped around it in half, just like somebody would split a melon.

Cynder craned her neck forward " You were saying?"

Spyro gulped " That doesn't mean anything he's just…warming up I'm sure"

The blacksmith inspected the axe and nodded satisfied, with that he stopped near the slab of stone, raised the axe above his head, looked at Spyro and grunted something incoherently while meaningfully patted the stone with his other hand

" You are not planning to swing that thing vertically, right?" Spyro asked with a wavering voice

The mole grunted and patted the slab once again

" Oh I think he does" Cynder whispered

Spyro swallowed hard once more " There…there has to be some other way"

The blacksmith repeated the same gesture but this time his grunt sounded more irritated

" I'm not sure but I'm guessing that he said that there is no other way" Cynder cautiously took a step backward

Spyro chuckled nervously " We can work something out, right?" he looked at the mole pleadingly

The blacksmith has done the same thing but this time his grunt sounded even more irritated than before.

" Let's just get the hell out of here" Cynder whispered

" I hate to say it" Sparx whispered " but she's right. That guy means business. Let's not waste any more time, tactical retreat"

Spyro laughed nervously and started to retreat slowly " You know, now when I think of it" he arched the amulet forward " I've really became attached to it, this necklace reminds me of my past. You see I'm a rather sentimental type"

"Yeah!" Sparx exclaimed " That's the truth, he still collects colorful flowers because they made him prettier when he was younger

" That's right!" Spyro exclaimed thoughtlessly " As we can see there is still a lot of work ahead of me, so…" Spyro nodded quickly " it was nice seeing you but-"

He only gasped when a strong paw grabbed his necklace and placed his head on the stone slab. Cynder and Sparx only yelped while the dragonfly covered his eyes with his hands and Cynder hid behind her black wings when the axe came down. There was a loud cling and then silence, after a while curiosity got better of them and they slowly uncovered their eyes. The first thing they saw was Spyro, he seemed to be frozen in place, he was touching his head and neck with a shaking paw, just like he was making sure that his head is still in the same place.

The blacksmith raised the axe above his head pointed his claw at Cynder and then on the slab of stone while grunting something incoherently, clearly bored and irritated.

She cackled nervously and slapped her forehead" Silly me I completely forgot about it" she gave the mole a wavering smile " I…I knew th…that I had to do something" with every word she made a little step backward " It's a girl thing really, a very important girl thing really, so…..rain check!" she exclaimed and turned around quickly, but before she made a step a firm paw grabbed her necklace and pulled her back making her eyes to shot wide open while she gasped.

Cynder gasped again when her head was forcefully placed on the slab " No, no, no, WAIT!" she screamed and squealed soon after as the axe came down. The surrounding crowd held their breaths, all of the people around the store began craning their necks just to see what the end result is. They saw the burly mole retreating while he tossed the axe on some pile of other weaponry. There was an awkward silence, everybody was shaking in anticipation, soon they saw a black body raising slowly, the dragoness tail bumped upwards, then her black scales on her draconic back were revealed, then a sleek onyx neck with a magenta hue could be seen, and finally…. a still attached head onto it. A loud groan of disappointment could be heard as they noticed that the dragoness is alright, with nothing interesting going on the crowd scattered with their heads hanging low.

Sparx shook his head while holding it in his hands " Wow that's one hell of a brave special girl, that was your warrior's call or something?" he gave his head one last shake " Boy, it still rings inside my skull"

" Shut up" Cynder snapped

" T…Thanks for your help, how…how can we repay you?" Spyro mumbled still shocked from the experience

" Free of charge! Have a fine evening!" a familiar excited shout came from inside the store

Spyro rubbed his neck" Then… then we will be leaving now. T…thank you again" with that he tottered away from the smithy with his friends following him

Sparx flew around both dragons, completely unconcerned, just like nothing ever happened. " I don't know about you but after a show like that I need to grab a bite" he tenderly patted his belly

Cynder frowned " All of this made you hungry? Nothing else?" she snarled at the dragonfly

" Pretty much, yeah"

She growled quietly

He rolled his eyes and sighed before hovering in front of Cynder and placing a hand on her shoulder " Don't worry, that squeal of yours will haunt me for the rest of my days, I'll never forget it" he smirked

Cynder snapped her teeth angrily scaring away the dragonfly as a result

Between sarcastic remarks or other similar comments they decided that Sparx was right, it was time to eat. The marketplace was still welcoming customers despite the late hour, however all of the food stalls were closed. They've learnt that all of the food is transported to the City Hall so it can be later distributed in the Mess hall, the siege resulted in many destroyed buildings, most of them were the homes of the residents, that's why it was decided that food will be distributed in one place, so the inhabitants who lost their home won't feel left out.

As both dragons kept following the dragonfly they've found out that the Mess Hall is nothing more than the wide and tall building which seemed to be connected with the hospital. After a short while they located the big simple door, they have entered the building after a pair of cheetahs.

The building's name spoke for itself, it served only one purpose- feed Warfang's hard working citizens while they spend the time in some good company. The interior was rather simple, only a handful of paintings could be seen hanging around the wall, with some brightly burning torches on the columns and simple lamps on the tables. On the other side of the room a door could be seen which lead to the hospital, that was a good idea, the wounded need food so they can recover their strength. In the corner a wide entrance could be seen, its walls were familiar, it most likely was an underground tunnel which was connected with the City Hall.

As befits a true Mess Hall the interior was filled with tables, nothing fancy, just a simple top with four legs. They all differed from each other, some were smaller others bigger, some curved, others flat. However they all had one thing in common, all of the tables had chairs around them, but there were many free spots around them. After all not every resident requires a chair to sit so he can enjoy the food.

Near one side of the wall another door could be seen, judging by the smell it led to the kitchen. Next to the door a wide counter with a couple female moles standing behind it could be seen. Judging by the looks of it and the many people standing near the counter, they could assume that's where one gets his portion of the food.

All of the tables were mostly occupied, even if cheetahs and dragons weren't on the best of terms, some of the tables were taken by citizens from both species. It seems war brings people together. Only one table in the corner of the room was empty and since they didn't want to intrude on anybody's privacy they made their way towards it.

Spyro looked around the room while he sat near the table " So many people, almost like in the cheetah village"

Sparx hovered next to his brother's head while scratching his chin thoughtfully "If I remember right, this was the idea of one of the kitties, he looked familiar, he had a robe-"

"This was Meadow's idea?" Spyro cut off his foster brother

The dragonfly shrugged " Maybe, I don't remember the name" he clapped his hands " Anyway I'm going to grab something to eat and you should do the same, if you are hungry you need to get it yourself"

So both dragons followed the dragonfly to the counter, they had to wait a little for their turn but soon Sparx received his portion of the food. Since dragonflies don't eat meat, his plate was filled with all different kind of fruits, there weren't many of them, seems like Sparx isn't as hungry as he said he was. He didn't say anything, just waited patiently for the mole to serve him food, it was obvious that he had done it more than once since the mole knew exactly what to serve him.

"Next!" A loud female shout could be heard as the dragonfly prepared to leave.

After Sparx made his way towards the table, it was Spyro's turn to get something to eat. He opened his mouth to order something but the mole only threw him a brief glance and disappeared into the kitchen. Soon she returned carrying a plate of food which she placed on the counter.

"Next!" the mole yelled, ignoring Spyro completely

He looked at the plate, there was a single piece of lamb meat on it and some salad. A SINGLE piece of meat, ok it was quite big but it was impossible to satisfy his hunger completely with it. He won't starve of course but dragons are carnivores and carnivores like to feel full after a meal, and this pitiful piece of meat won't help him to achieve that state. He was still young but if adult dragons also received this kind of treatment he couldn't help but feel pity for them.

"Ummm I don't want to sound rude, but can I ask for some more meat?" Spyro looked at the mole with puppy eyes

"Next!" the female mole yelled again not paying Spyro any attention

"Please?"

"Next!" her voice sounded more irritated

Spyro cleared his throat " Excuse-"

The mole looked at the young dragon with fiery eyes which made Spyro to jerk back slightly in shock " Listen kid, you might be our savior and everything but there are a lot of other people hungry here, waiting for their turn, so MOVE IT!" she snarled "NEXT!" the mole averted her gaze from the young dragon and shouted angrily

"Gosh" Spyro muttered quietly and took the plate in his maw

Cynder emerged soon after when Spyro turned away from the counter. A loud gasp of surprise echoed throughout the Mess Hall when the female mole spotted the black dragoness in front of her. She didn't do anything, just stared at the black snout in front of her for a while before she exchanged shocked glances with the other female moles.

" Is something wrong?" Cynder asked with a palpable dose of sarcasm in her voice

The female mole shook off the surprise and narrowed her eyes on the dragoness "You've got a lot of nerve, showing your snout around here" she hissed " Be on your way, there is nothing for you here"

" The smell tells me something else"

" Whatever you are smelling, I assure you that it's not meant for you"

" I just came here to ask for my food, and I won't bother you again"

" As I said, there is nothing for you here" the mole pronounced each word slowly

" Cynder is there a problem?" Spyro stopped next to the black dragoness while his pupils jumped between her and the mole

The female mole looked quite startled and troubled after the unexpected occurrence " Of…of course not" she mumbled and vanished into the kitchen. Soon she returned with a plate filled the same amount of food which she placed on the counter.

The mole took a few steps back "Next!" she shouted tentatively

Cynder grinned " Thank you" she took the plate and returned to the table with Spyro swaying her tail in a taunting manner as she did so

Both dragons were curious about the recent events in the city, and since Sparx was the only one from their group around back then, all of the questions were directed at him. He kept answering them in his own way, meaning it was hard to tell if he was saying the truth or is he making all of this up. As always Sparx and Cynder found the time to exchange some snide remarks. They decided to leave Warfang for the time being and concentrated on some other topics

" So what are you going to do with your freedom?" Spyro asked and took a bite of the meat

Cynder impulsively rubbed her neck where the necklace was previously. Once she would be thrilled to be free from the shackles that held her in place, once she would scream in joy when she could do whatever she wants without anybody telling her to stop or reconsider. Now, now whenever she thinks about the past it feels like a dream, but not a pleasant one but a nightmare.

Over time her point of view changed, the magical necklace wasn't a chain for her anymore but it began to feel like a bond, a bond she believed was unbreakable. Today that bond ceased to exist and instead of happiness she felt sadness, something created by the most evil creature she ever knew turned out to be the thing that she craved mostly. Oh, the irony.

After Spyro defeated her when she was corrupted and nursed her back to health with the help of the Guardians she felt lost, out of place, hated and unimportant. That magical chain gave her purpose, even if she really tried to deny that fact in the beginning. It allowed her to find destiny, it didn't matter for her that it wasn't hers. A destiny is a destiny- a goal, and that thought allowed her to carry on despite the circumstances.

She couldn't shake off the shock when that destiny became unimportant one day, her focus completely shifted just to stop on her partner. Her vanquisher became her best friend, and that bond between them never allowed them to go their separate ways. Her heart couldn't stop screaming with joy when that friendship evolved into something new for her, into something blissful, into love. She never had the strength to reveal her feelings towards him, but she was happy nonetheless because she knew that bond won't allow him to leave, he will be beside her, he will be hers even if he is oblivious or doesn't share the same romantic feelings.

Now everything was gone, the love of her life can run away, the destiny, her goal vanished, and nothing replaced it. However all the fighting taught her that you can never let go and that's why she won't allow that destiny escape, she will fight to reclaim it and if Ancestors will ever forgive her than maybe they will allow her to be loved by the only dragon she cares about. A fool's dream perhaps but a one that will keep her going.

Cynder's mouth twitched into a smile for a brief moment before disappearing " Oh I don't know, I'll think that I stick around"

Spyro furrowed a brow but she noticed him smiling for a second " What happened to your independence?"

"It's still there but I've got used to following you, old habits die hard you know" she gave him a loving smile

Sparx swallowed a piece of some fruit " Good, because we all enjoy your company" he said with a sarcastic tone and burped after these words

"Sparx!" Spyro exclaimed admonishingly with a chuckle

" Gosh, you are disgusting" Cynder giggled

The dragonfly only shrugged and continued his dinner

* * *

After some happy conversation Spyro felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to see a mole with a grateful and full of awe smile standing behind him, watching him closely

"I can't believe that I'm looking at our great heroes" the mole mumbled

Spyro blushed " I'm no hero, just please call me Spyro"

"Don't forget that not all of us have the same objections" Sparx added and took another bite of some sweet fruit

" I just want to thank you for everything you had done for us. I don't know how we will ever repay you" the mole said with the same admiring tone while watching his savior closely

Spyro's cheeks became even more red " No…no you don't have to repay us, really it's no big deal"

"You're too modest" the mole patted his shoulder and looked around the room, stared at something for a while, nodded and looked at the purple dragon again " Would you do me the honor and join us at the table? There are some people who really want to meet you"

"I…" Spyro hesitated and looked at his friends, Cynder just shrugged while Sparx was nodding his head quickly. He sighed, he has to face this sooner or later anyway " Why not?" he got up " Sparx, Cynder come on"

" Hell yeah, fans!" Sparx exclaimed and started to fly around in circles in joy

The mole's eyes shot wide open "Cy…" his voice trailed off as he looked at the gathering of people on the nearby table. Spyro saw with a corner of his eyes as they were shaking their heads quickly. The mole scratched the back of his head nervously " I…I completely forgot!" he chuckled nervously " We arranged a meeting, some other friends will join us soon and the table will be full. Sorry, maybe some other time. Good evening!" the words came from his mouth one after the other, almost Volteer-like, and the mole was gone in seconds.

Sparx hands fell down in disappointment beside his chest and the look on his face quickly turned to that of resignation and utter defeat " Great, with her around we sure are going to meet some fans" he sighed

" Hey, why so sad? I'm sure that was only an exception, if somebody else will approach us I'm sure he will invite us, don't worry" Cynder smirked under her nose

Before they could return to their dinner another mole approached them, grinning from ear to ear" Excuse me, my friends wanted to know if you would be so kind as to join us at the table?"

Spyro sighed " Of course, it would be our pleasure, Sparx, Cynder, come"

"What?!" the mole exclaimed and coughed soon after " I mean…" he looked at his friends with terrified eyes while pointing his claw at Cynder, he didn't even bother to hide what this is all about. Spyro noticed as another group of people were shaking their heads and when they noticed him looking at them, they returned to their dinner just like nothing ever happened.

Spyro turned his head to look at the mole who was staring at him with wide eyes " You know… funny thing… I mean…" the mole mumbled and soon his voice trailed off. After a while he took a deep breath "Bye!" he exclaimed and dashed towards his friends.

"See?" Cynder looked at the dragonfly with a corner of her eye and returned to her dinner completely unconcerned about this whole situation

Sparx stared at her with an angry frown on his face '" Seriously bro, you have to ditch her somewhere, this is not funny"

Cynder burst out laughing " I beg to differ"

Spyro looked at Cynder with concerned eyes " Cynder I'm sure that they didn't mean-"

She giggled " They did and we both know it"

" This isn't right, I have to-"

"No" Cynder cut him off with a firm tone and smiled cheerfully "It's ok Spyro don't worry about it. I can take care of myself" she sighed 'Let's just forget about it, ok?"

She could see him battling with his thoughts but after a while he nodded, even if reluctantly.

They continued their dinner but this time quite loud murmurs could be heard in between other conversations. They didn't have to see the faces to know that the whispers were about them. However it didn't bother them as they continued a cheerful talk of their own.

Spyro stared at his empty plate with hungry eyes " Is there a possibility to get seconds here?"

Sparx raised his hands in the air " Whoa, whoa bro take it easy, you sure that you need any more food? Just look at yourself"

"Seriously Sparx this joke stopped being funny years ago"

The dragonfly snorted " If you are really that hungry just go ask them"

Spyro threw an incredulous glance at the couple of female moles who were serving food " I doubt they will even listen to me, they didn't strike me as the most helpful type"

Sparx shook his head " Not them" he pointed his finger in the direction of the counter " See those door? They lead to the kitchen which is run by the most friendly and caring cheetah you ever met. She will give you whatever you want" he flew closer towards Spyro " But hush, you never heard this from me, if all the people here would know about this you know what could happen?"

Spyro licked his mouth and got up unhesitatingly " Be right back" he followed his brother's advice

When Spyro took a few steps away from the table Sparx grinned mischievously " Watch this"

Cynder cocked her head but she knew Sparx well enough, she could tell that something is going to happen soon. Curiously she turned around to see Spyro disappearing into the kitchen.

At the beginning there was nothing, only the sound of many conversations could be heard. However soon a loud noise came from the kitchen which sounded like an extremely angry shout, whatever it was it silenced the Mess Hall completely. Everyone was staring at the kitchen door. Soon after another noise reached the room, it sounded like something just broke and not once but a couple of times. It wasn't long before Spyro barged into the room through the kitchen door, when the door swung open people could see a frying pan crashing into the wall behind the purple dragon.

Spyro ran with his tail between his legs until he reached his table and hunkered behind a chair, only his gold horns could be seen. Soon an extremely burly female cheetah emerged from the kitchen, in one of her hand she was carrying a frying pan with two indentations which really resembled Spyro's horns. The cheetah stopped at the doorstep panting heavily while waving the pan in her hand in a threatening manner.

" How many times do I have to tell you that there won't be any seconds!" she yelled at the top of her lungs " It's not my problem that you dragons eat for three, go on a diet or hunt something if you are so desperate, I don't care! You won't get anything from me! I swear the next dragon who enters my kitchen will land in a pot and I will boil him myself! You will have your meat then! Oh and if I find the guy who spreads this false rumors about free meals here, I will eat him myself!" with that the cheetah disappeared back into the kitchen.

All of the people stared at the door for a while before all the eyes focused on Spyro. When he raised his head and the residents noticed his terrified expression, the whole Mess Hall burst out laughing, forcing a blush on the young dragon's snout. Sparx couldn't stop grinning mischievously.

" Was this joke better bro?"

" You are such an ass!" Cynder's voice had a squealing tone as she tried to form words between laughs

" She's crazy!" Spyro exclaimed in horror " She chased me through the whole kitchen!"

Sparx shrugged " Who could have known?" he said with an innocent voice

Spyro narrowed his eyes on his brother " You!" he hissed angrily " You've set me up! You…you…"

" Genius?"

" I should…" the purple dragon snorted, after a moment of silence his eyes widened " I know! I'm going to tell her it was your idea, ha!" he smirked

" Go right ahead" Sparx pointed at the kitchen's door with his hand " I'm sure she will listen to you"

One look at the door was enough to drain Spyro's confidence " She's… she's probably busy, I'll talk with her some other time"

Another laugh from Cynder drew his attention. When she noticed his angry frown she coughed " Sorry Spyro but that look on your snout…" she started to laugh again

Firstly it irritated him greatly but after he exchanged some glances with his brother and noticed him smiling he couldn't help it but to start laughing with Sparx joining both dragons momentarily.

Sparx patted his swollen belly after swallowing the last piece of fruit " Now that's what I call a dinner. I'm full how about you guys?"

Both dragons looked at the dragonfly with angry expressions on their snouts " Shut up" they said simultaneously

Sparx only cackled wickedly

" May I join you?" a familiar voice came from behind Spyro

He turned around to see Hunter standing behind him " Hunter! Sure, take a seat"

"Thank you" the feline joined them

He looked different than usual, the brown coat and the reddish cloak were gone in addition with his bow, quiver and red bands. He looked like a typical worker with only one single dirty brown shirt, the same colored dirty pants and boots. The sharp color of his fur was gone as it intertwined with the dust, even the white colored fur was slightly darker. But from the looks of it he didn't mind it at all, he was tired and dirty but he seemed to be overjoyed, with a smile he began eating his dinner.

Cynder couldn't help it but to smile as she watched the feline " You look happy"

" I do?"

"Yeah, I might say that you are even beaming. Something you want to tell us?"

" Well…" he smiled from ear to ear " I've talked with Meadow, about my future"

"You're leaving?" Spyro asked with a glimmer of sadness in his voice

" Quite the contrary, I've decided to remain in Warfang"

Cynder furrowed a brow "You are staying, why?"

"If you are here to steal our fans, not that we have many" Sparx looked at Cynder and nodded " Thank you very much" she responded him only with a smile "Remember who saved the world"

" You can sleep peacefully, I'm not here for fame." He smiled and looked at the black dragoness " To answer your question Cynder, I've been thinking and decided that it was time that I left my village for good, I realized that I don't fit in there "

" But you have fiends there, people who would follow you, and-"

"… the Chief and constant rivalry" Hunter cut Spyro off tenderly

" And legends and symbols" Spyro added quickly

The feline's ears flicked " Symbols?" he thought for a moment " Oh, I see. Meadow's been telling you about the Blessed Ones and The Fortune I presume?" Hunter asked without any emotion in his voice

" You don't believe in them?" Spyro asked surprised " I thought that every cheetah does"

Hunter shrugged " For me it's just a tree, you don't need some mythical ancestors to find strength to push on" he snapped his fingers " Another reason why I decided to leave"

" So what are you going to do here? In Warfang?" Cynder asked curiously

" For starters I'll help to rebuild the city, the walls are almost finished but there are still many homes needing repairs and that's a lot of work"

" How can we help?" Spyro blurt out

" Hey, slow down there dude" Sparx protested

Hunter smiled gratefully " That's very kind of you but this time we will handle this ourselves"

Sparx pointed his finger at the feline " Finally someone who makes some sense!" he exclaimed " Listen to this guy bro"

Spyro ignored his brother, he was entirely concentrated on the cheetah " Are you sure?"

Hunter nodded " Yes, don't worry. Get some rest"

Cynder yawned " Now that sounds like a good idea"

* * *

Three friends made their way to the City Hall through now almost completely empty streets. Even the Hall itself was abandoned, there was only one Guardian sitting behind a table which was illuminated by a single candle.

" Welcome back" Terrador greeted the group " Tell me, what's your opinion on Warfang?"

" The city took quite a beating, I wish we could stop the siege sooner. All these people…" Spyro shook his head sadly

" This is war Spyro, it knows no mercy"

Cynder seeing the poor mood decided to lighten it up a bit " You are doing a great job in rebuilding, the city almost looks like new"

She could see that Terrador has read her intentions, his knowing smile only confirmed it " You are correct, great times await us"

Spyro sighed just as if he tried to forget about the bad thoughts " It's late, what are you doing here Terrador?"

" I've been waiting for you actually, someone has to show you to your rooms. Please follow me" the Guardian made his way up the stairs while carrying a small key ring with him"

The group followed the dragon through a wide corridor illuminated by burning torches with many doors on the opposite sides. The Guardian stopped near one of these doors.

" This is where Sparx stayed when you were gone, so I thought it would be appropriate to house you with your brother, as you haven't seen each other for some time. Here is the key"

Spyro took the simple silver key " Thank you"

Terrador pointed at the next door " Cynder this is where you will be staying, I didn't want to separate you much, I know how fighting side by side brings people together. Here is your key"

Cynder eagerly took the key and bowed " Thank you very much Terrador"

The Guardian smiled " I hope you will like the rooms we prepared for you" he bowed his head " Good night" he prepared to leave " Oh," the dragon blurt out and stopped " I almost forgot, Volteer wants to speak with you, he said that" Terrador cleared his throat " This is prominently urgent matter, because if he is correct, it may distort the way we perceive our universe." he chuckled " Anyway I suggest you visit him, maybe you will be able to finally pull him out from the library" he smiled and bowed his head once again " Good night"

"Good night" all three of them responded

" Finally" Sparx yawned and clicked his tongue when the Guardian disappeared around the corner " That guy likes to talk" he stretched " All right guys it's time for my beauty sleep. See ya!" he waved his hand and flew inside the room through the shutter which was located above the door

Both dragons looked at each other impulsively and chuckled

" So…" Cynder started uncertainty while shuffling her paw along the ground

"So…" Spyro replied her in the same manner

" What a day, huh?" Cynder blurt out nervously " We almost lost our heads today, literally"

Spyro chuckled " Yeah, it would be a shame, I feel quite attached to it"

She laughed " Anyway after all this time it will be great to lay in a warm bed, between you and me I'm tired of sleeping on cold cave floors"

" You and me both, at least I won't have to pitifully make a fire again for a while"

" Yeah that was quite pathetic" she teased him and they both began to laugh, after a while they stopped and began to stare in each other's eyes. Cynder cleared her throat and averted her gaze " Listen Spyro I…" her voice trailed off " I never thanked you for giving me a chance"

"Huh?"

" You know after my corruption and utter defeat, you took a risk by saving me, I mean you had no reason to believe me, I was evil after all." she sighed gratefully " Thank you for that"

" Cynder…" Spyro admonished her softly " You don't have to thank me, there was no risk, I knew from the beginning that you are not evil, I've always trusted you and I will trust you no matter what happens"

Her eyes sparkled " I should really consider making a statue of you in my room" she smiled wryly

" Do that and I'll kill you" Spyro chuckled

Cynder giggled and stared in his eyes for a while before retreating towards her door. " Good night" she whispered tenderly and pushed the door open.

" Good night" he found himself whispering back impulsively and watched her until her blade-like tip disappeared inside the room. With a dizzy mind he entered his own resting place.

The room was nothing special, it was pretty simple really. A single bed stood in a corner, a desk, a closet for those who need it, a bedside table, a bunch of drawers, a couple of paintings and some plants with some candles or lamps here and there. A single glass door were located on the opposite side of this place which led to the balcony. The whole room was illuminated by the silvery light of the moon which looked like it was peeking through the windows, to check what's going on in the City Hall. A loud snoring broke this serenity, it was coming from a single alcove shelving located near the ceiling- Sparx.

However Spyro was completely uninterested, he didn't care about the furniture or the noise, the moment he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it with his tail and smiled, he didn't know why but he felt extremely happy. After a while he pulled himself together and arrived on the balcony, there was a spectacular view on Warfang from here, many streets could be seen which were illuminated by the burning lanterns, besides a shadow passing here and there the city was silent and empty.

He didn't admire the sight for long as his head traveled to the balcony next to his. Spyro's smile only widened when he thought about his friend, even if they just talked minutes ago he felt a sudden urge to see her again, something told him to leap from his balcony, land on hers and enter her room, just like that, spontaneously. Only thinking about such scenario forced his heart to pump blood faster, the unfamiliar awkward feeling returned but this time it wasn't an entirely pleasant sensation, his heart started to ache just like it craved for something. A part of him wanted to tell her about this strange feeling but he couldn't force himself to do it, she would most likely worry about him, and that was the last thing he wanted, she has enough problems with the people here. He decided to shake off the feeling.

Spyro concentrated on the moon instead, after a long time he can look at the sky without thinking about the next day, what will it bring or if he even survives to see another one. For the first time after he left the Swamp he can look at the darkened sky with no worries because when the moon will depart to allow his brother to rule the sky he knows that the sun will bring a peaceful day with it and nothing else.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A strong wind howled through the trees below and the black clouded sky just like it was carrying a thousand screams with itself. A terrifying roar of nature that would freeze blood in every good hearted creature, however she wasn't one of them. For her it was something else, something she could listen to all day and night, something strongly exciting- a sign of a forthcoming disaster. A disaster she will sow, a disaster that will break the spirit of her enemies, a signal that the ground will taste blood and to satisfy the earth's growing hunger she will add numbers to the already big pile of corpses. They will recognize her as a harbinger of destruction, after this people will surely tremble at the sound of her name. A greatly intriguing vision.

She sat on the outcropping with closed eyes and wings neatly folded on her back, her breaths were deep and slow as she savored the sweet embrace of darkness and the chilling sound of the wind. This is her time and she swore to herself that whatever she will do, it will be unforgettable. This is the moment when she will deprive the people of their last ounces of faith just like the clouds deprive the sky of the glorious sun's rays. She sighed, this is where the remains of the War Dragons took refuge and this is where they will meet their end and there is nothing and no one who can stop her.

A quite bright light poked at her closed eyelids, firstly she ignored it fully concentrated on the howling wind, completely lost in it as she was listening to it's addictive screams. Minutes have passed but the light still bothered her with its presence, with a furious growl she opened her green eyes to check what is preventing her enjoyment. She saw a column of bright light which found a gap in the black clouds defenses,a sign perhaps that there is a way even from the most dire situation. The beam of light infuriated her but when she thought about it, this may turn into her favor, if the column of light is a sign of something good, she will blacken it with her wings, she will steal their hope.

With a smirk she looked down from the outcropping, there was a battle going on, even from here she could hear the shouts, war cries and the clashing of weapons. She observed her army, many apes went unhesitatingly to the fight knowing that most of them won't make it back, it didn't bother her in the slightest, that's why they are under her command after all, to follow her every whim, even if this will be the last thing they will do. She twitched with excitement and anticipation when she looked at her enemies, that force not only consisted frail and weak cats but also dragons, her own kind and that thought, that single thought about slaying her own kin, to rip their scales with her claws, to crash their bones with her jaws, to taste their blood in her mouth, all of those things forced her heart to beat faster. She closed her eyes and shivered, this will be something worth remembering.

She couldn't stop observing the scene below, under the black sky the many flashes of spells or the cones of flames released by the dragons created a perfect scene. Not to mention the screams, oh the screams of soldiers devoured by the magic's destructive nature, that is the music she wants to hear, that is the sound that makes her black heart beat even harder. The flying dragons do a great job in shrinking the number of her soldiers, for every one the apes shoot down they kill at least twenty of them. That's good, it was a reason for her to focus on the battlefield, to find the dragon responsible for the most damage, the dragon who gives her enemies vigor to fight with his small victories. She narrowed her pupils on the winged shapes, if she locates the drake, she will bring him down, announcing her arrival in the most refined way possible.

The battlefield takes places near a mountainside range, behind the enemy lines many openings could be seen, the hiding place of the War Dragons was finally discovered. But the death of these ferocious warriors is nothing compared to the things she will find inside the cave-innocents. Old ones, mothers and children, practically all families were located inside those caves, nothing can be compared to the fading life of an innocent being and the feeling is all the sweeter if she is the reason why the life ebbs away in the first place.

The place where the battlefield takes place is a hilly terrain, many elevations dotted the landscape below, some trees even managed to prevail while some other were burning just like huge torches. All things considered the enemy found a perfect spot to make their last stand, the hills prevented her foot soldier to launch a proper assault, whenever they tried to push on up the hills they were instantly slaughtered by the defenders who already occupied the elevations. However she was prepared for something like this, mercenaries as greedy as they are created some perfect creatures to fight in rough terrain, the Death Hounds scaled the hills easily and thanks to their four legs they gained a tremendous speed while descending the small mountains, tearing a hole through the enemy defenses. Also fliers like Dreadwings prevented the War Dragons from dominating the sky completely.

However Dreadwings need a raider to function properly, otherwise these stupid creatures attack their prey headlong, which usually means that they are killed before they can do any damage, it wasn't enough to take the sky from intelligent creatures like the dragons but it was enough to stall them. It was finally the time, she has spotted a leader amongst the drakes, she could see how he was commanding his troops while sowing mayhem amongst her ranks, a true leader.

With the last evil grin she retreated from the outcropping to prepare herself for battle, pieces of armor were already prepared, they were as black as her onyx scales and had long, sturdy looking spines almost everywhere. Firstly she slid her tail between smooth plates, using the tip of her tail she attached the joints to her body. Secondly she raised on her hind legs and put on an armor which protected her chest, underbelly and back. The obsidian alloy seemed to glisten under the dark sky. She turned her head to get used to the feeling of something bulky encumbering her neck before she landed on all fours again. She put on another pieces of armor, they covered her forelegs and hind paws. They ended with silvery insets which fit her claws perfectly. Lastly she slid a dark helmet on her head, her emerald eyes shone brightly under the dark helmet just like a pair of gems.

She traced her paw down her neck, as if admiring the armor, however after a while she jerked back, her paw stung just like she was electrocuted. For a brief moment she felt horrible about the thing she was about to do, she is preparing for battle with her own kind, for the first time in her life doubt and fear filled her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, just like she expected the pitiful emotions were gone, weakness makes her sick. She opened her eyes, her emerald orbs once again shone with sheer malice, an evil grin formed itself on her black snout, she was ready for a fight.

She returned to the outcropping and looked down, the battle was still raging on below and the dragon she hunted for was still there. She looked at the column of light, and waited until it shone directly on her prey. She smirked, it will be a glorious entrance, spreading her black wings she took a step forward and leapt from the outcropping. She kept making little circles in the air, while she waited for the perfect opportunity, she wanted him to feel a moment of victory, a moment of hope before she strikes him down stealing all the faith in one single attack.

That moment just came, she saw the dragon returning from battle, he took to the sky and roared triumphantly, some other dragons followed in his wake. She laughed bitterly, and looked at the column of light once again before she dived. With her wings close to her body wind started to whizz around her while she sped up instantly, she was just like a quarrel shot from a huge crossbow, a very unexpected and deadly quarrel. Just when she was about to reach the light she spread her onyx wings, all nearby dragons looked up to see what could darken the sky above them so quickly.

Their leader had no time to admire the view since momentarily a black shape enveloped him and brought him down. She used her Shadow element to enhance her silvery claws with the dark power before she sank them into the dragons chest while piercing his armor. They spun around in the air but the firm grip allowed her to control the fall, with one move just like a passionate lover she found herself on top of the dragon. Firstly his eyes were filled with shock and surprise but as soon he took a glimpse of her black snout focused returned to them as he realized what's going on. He prepared his elemental attack but it was too late, they hit the ground.

A loud thud was heard and dust raised in the air from the place they crashed. The impact took out the dragon's breath, he groaned below her but she didn't care, with a couple of swift slashes she destroyed the armor on his neck. The dragon only grunted when she snapped her powerful jaws on his throat, her teeth sank deep, tearing off bits of scales and muscles as she raised her head. Trail of blood followed her as she looked around the battlefield chewing the bit of flesh at the same time, the battle seemed to freeze for a while as every soldier, from both sides, stared at her with shocked filled eyes. She thrust her claws into the throat of the wriggling dragon below her, ending his struggle forever. She swallowed the bit of flesh and looked at her troops with fiery eyes, she spread her wings and roared so loudly that the ground began to rumble and the remaining trees began to shake.

The brief moment of awkward silence was over, her troops emitted a war cry like they have never before, making the opposite army hesitate for a while. The battle was renewed, both sides charged each other once again and as she was caught between a rock and a hard place, she couldn't shake of the feeling of complete surprise when some cats and a bunch of dragons charged her completely blinded by rage, she laughed, it seems stupidity has no bounds.

Even if her ego told her to stay and slaughter them all, the common sense of a seasoned warrior told her otherwise. As much as it hurt her she listened to the latter, no need to risk getting an injury from a furious mob, not to mention the angered dragons above her. She left the carcass and began to run, run as far away as possible from the light, the roars of the troops and dragons both from the ground and air told her that they were right behind her tail. It didn't bother her however, her graceful body allowed her to move swiftly, cleverness and speed dominate over strength and agility is her most known virtue.

She was about to leave the repulsive light and enter the darkness, her own element. She felt as the shadows were embracing her, inviting her for a dance and she was flattered by it, she swirled in the darkness, letting it to take control over her until she became one with it and melted within its embrace. The onyx armor and her black scales allowed her to disappear into the shadows, she was just a blurry shape for everyone brave enough to pursue her.

The soldiers who chased her hesitated, she seemed like a monster to them, the one the children speak of, the monster from the closet. This time however this comparison was correct and the blood freezing shriek that came out from the darkness only confirmed this. Most of the soldiers started to flee at the sound of it, while some other were completely paralyzed, those were the ones who saw a pair of demonic green eyes before everything turned black just like somebody would turn off the light.

Her blade like tip cut through them with ease, they began falling one by one just like trees cut by lumberjacks. There was no time to focus on them now as she could hear dragons descending towards her and even felt the surge of power when most likely every possible elemental attack knows in this world was heading towards her. She smirked, when the magical strikes and the dragons were close enough she used her Shadow ability and sank into the ground.

The attacks hit an empty ground in a show of different colored sparks, soon the descending dragons arrived, they had to make a turn near the ground to raise into the air again or else they would crash. That was the moment she waited for, that was the opportunity she couldn't squander, she popped up from the ground just like a shark jumps from the water, the momentum she accumulated allowed her to head straight for a dragon who was the last in the line.

Amongst the sound of armors grinding against each other, grunts of struggle and angry roars, she managed to get a hold of the drake using her shadow empowered claws. They began to twist in the air gaining the attention of the nearby dragons, but she didn't care she was only focused on her prey, she even ignored the stinging pain when one of the spines on the drake's armor accidently managed to find a chink in her armor. They swirled in the air and the moment their eyes met she used her Poison Breath ability and spit a boiling glob of lethal venom onto the dragon's snout. He stopped his struggle immediately as he began to choke, cough and sometimes even scream when the poison hissed and burnt through his scales and down his throat.

They hit the ground with her standing victoriously on top of the dragon who was desperately trying to cling to life using his last sparks of strength. She spit contemptuously on the struggling drake and left him alone, she enjoyed watching him suffer. The group of flying drakes began to charge her again, however the moment she looked at them an evil grin formed itself on her snout and she began to laugh mischievously. The chaos she created made the dragons lose their concentration and her troops didn't linger and took an advantage of this opportunity. Every flying dragon was tackled by a Dredwing, the bat-like creatures hissed and barred their poison filled fangs while they attacked the drakes. Their riders were barking orders, or even attacking themselves accompanied by the sound of many painful shouts, roars and grunts. They have dominated the sky.

She sniffed the air, between the typical scent of a bloodshed she could smell something different close by, didn't take her long to realize that she was smelling a cat's fur. She spun around, just in time in fact since a sharp spear tried to stab her, the warrior who was carrying it couldn't shake off the feeling of surprise after his miss. She didn't worry about such things, the moment she set eyes upon the arrogant feline she opened her maw wide open and snapped her teeth moments later on the cat's body cutting him in half. She spit him out, ripped of the armor and devoured him in front of the next wave of attackers, she made sure they noticed him vanishing down her gullet.

Pure hatred painted itself on their faces after her little show, without hesitation they charged, yelling loudly as they did so. She licked her snout, and began a charge of her own, she was a good fighter but they had numbers, no matter how agile she was, it was impossible to dodge every strike, however she had a few tricks up her sleeve for situations like this. After gaining some speed she jumped and channeled her Wind powers, with the elemental energy flowing through her body she began to spun around. She made faster and faster turns with each passing second, and as her momentum increased so did the sound of the roaring wind, it looked like the wind was screaming all around her, just like it wanted to be near the black dragoness.

With each spin, she not only gained speed but also dragged the debris from across the battlefield towards her, she used the Twister ability, meaning that she transformed into a swirling tornado. As she adopted the form of one of the nature's reapers, she went straight at the charging wave of attackers. Not only she tossed the soldiers in every directions just like rag dolls, but also tore apart instantly those, who were unfortunate enough and found themselves in the middle of the twister, they just exploded, sending streams of blood everywhere. Bodies were not the only thing that were tossed in all directions, her tornado form also hurled debris everywhere, weapons, pieces of armor, rocks and many other things were thrown at the approaching soldiers, making life harder for those who managed to avoid the swirling dragoness.

She turned and turned and turned, making her way through the enemies lines with ease, she could see their frail forms flying everywhere and that was the sight that kept her going. She will continue her attack until there is no one left standing, she will kill them all, but that pleasure was taken away from her. She hit something solid, something thick and indestructible. The wind stopped howling, and all the debris fell onto the ground instantly.

The impact made her dizzy, she quickly shook her head to regain her senses and the moment they returned to her she saw a huge and thick stone wall in front of her. Earth. The enemies seeing that she lost her power began their charge, however she didn't need to budge since her own troops managed to catch up with her, a battle was commenced between the two armies, allowing her to find the one responsible for stopping her fun.

It didn't take long to notice a big earth dragon towering above the fighting soldiers, judging by the armor he wore he was quite a strong drake. It didn't bother her in the slightest, because she knew that some pitiful common dragon won't stop her, however that didn't prevent him from trying. The stone wall shook and started to collapse towards her, she quickly jumped out of its way but to her surprise the moment the wall crashed on the ground it exploded sending small rocks directly at her.

It caught her by surprise, she wasn't fast enough to block the debris with her wings, some small chunks of rock managed to find a way through her defense, cutting her just below the left eye. She impulsively touched her wound and the moment she lowered her paw she saw blood on it, with an furious snort she flicked it away. The moment she looked at the dragon something struck her chest, bending her armor as a result, when the projectile exploded into many small chunks of stone she knew that it was an earth missile.

She growled, enough is enough, it was the last time when the drake could feel that he has a chance in this fight, oh he couldn't be more wrong. The drake stomped the ground and soon the terrain below her started to shake, she instantly jumped backwards and as she did so a large spike burst from the ground in front of her just to hide down the earth moments later. The shaking didn't stop so using her natural grace she started to run directly at the dragon, it wasn't an easy run, she had to dodge every spike on her way, she was even forced sometimes to leap into the air but whenever she did so she had to return to the ground since the drake sent an earth missile every time she was in the sky. She continued her charge on the ground, only jumping when it was absolutely necessary, she flapped her wings once or twice before returning on the ground, that way no earth missile could harm her.

With an angry roar she pounced on the dragon, they began to roll down the small hill, snapping their teeth and slashing with their claws at each other until they finally stopped rolling. The dragon was stronger than her, she ended below his firm paws, she tried to pull up but only managed to arch her upper body upwards a little before he forcefully slammed her onto the ground. He lowered his head to make a bite on her throat, her eyes flared with pure hatred, just when he was about to reach her neck she yanked her body forcefully making the dragon totter a little, but that was enough for her to puncture his cheek with the blade claw on her wing thumb.

The drake roared painfully, and as he opened his maw a bloody blade claw could be easily seen inside his mouth. In an act of vengeance he slammed her wing with his own, pulling out the claw from his cheek in a stream of blood, when the black wing moved away from his body he slashed it with his claws. She cried in pain below him when the dragon's claws cut her membranes, blood started to flow down instantly from the deep lacerations. Wasting no time, she slammed her tail against his ankle, her tail was in no position to cause any serious damage but the spines on her armor found a chink in the dragon's protection.

The drake hissed while his hind paw bent under the blow making him lose balance. She took advantage of the opportunity and kicked him off of her, as the dragon was thrown away she prepared an elemental attack but couldn't finish channeling the energy since the dragon's tail tip which resembled the end of a thick hammer struck her in the chest, knocking the breath out of her. The impact forced her to release the energy she accumulated so far, it wasn't much but it was enough to stagger her opponent even if for a short while.

She quickly pulled herself up on all fours, she was grateful for the armor, the onyx plates quelled most of the force but she could still feel her bones throbbing with a dull pain. She charged the dragon before he could get the chance to use his own breath, she gracefully dodged under the dragon's tail, sidestepped quickly to avoid his claws just to strike him with her blade- like tip, damaging his armor and drawing some blood. They exchanged blow after blow, she mostly focused on speed while her opponent concentrated on raw strength.

After a while she retreated and decided to try a different approach, this particular dragon was getting on her nerves, it was time to end this. She immediately used her elemental energy to cover herself in a coat of poison before charging. Her opponent acted just as she expected, unsure about her true intentions the dragon thought that she once again is trying to charge him so he decided to play it safe. Just to keep her as far away as possible he once again began creating the spines.

Good, he had bought her bluff, but that doesn't mean he wasn't dangerous, however with her natural agility she had no problems dodging the two first spines. Instead of avoiding the next one she jumped at it and wrapped herself around it. The dragon's eyes shot wide open when he saw as the spine hid below ground with the dragoness wrapped around it. His shock was so great that the two adjacent spines which protruded from the earth in front of him remained above ground since he stopped channeling his elemental power to fuel the attack.

She was lucky that many of her foes didn't know yet what Shadow powers are capable of, that's why the dragon remained in the same position just as she hoped he would. A shadow created itself below the dragon's paws and moments later she jumped out of it like from some kind of portal. The power she put into this trick lifted the dragon vertically high into the air, a loud gasp was a proof that he didn't expect such a move. She quickly maneuvered with agile flaps of her wings to place herself above the raising dragon while delicately pushing him forward with her tail.

Just when she gained enough altitude she spun around and extended her front paws so they were directed centrally on the dragon's belly. It was then when she began to fall pushing the dragon down with her. The blowing wind and the speed forced his wings to spread wide open, and those were the reason behind his agonizing roar since the moment he was pushed down, the two remaining spines pierced his membranes. The wound became deeper with each inch as he slid down against the artificial thorns, leaving a trail of crimson blood on their surfaces.

He roared until he finally dropped on the hilly terrain with the two thick spines piercing his wings and pinning him to the ground. The moment he hit the earth he emitted a one last deafeningly loud scream of pain. She gracefully landed on top of him and slid down moments later so his body was trapped between her paws. She could end his suffering here and now but she decided not to. With a swift move she ripped off his armor from his chest and thrust her claws deep into his scales, tearing them off when she forcefully removed her claws, trickling red blood followed them.

The dragon cried in pain and screamed even more louder when she lowered her head towards his chest and began to rip his scales and devour his flesh while he was still conscious. She kept chewing and chewing while listening to his beautiful painful screams which inspired her even more. She kept going and going until he finally couldn't take more of this sadistic torture and expired.

* * *

The battle was over, bodies littered the ground and blood flowed down the many elevations in streams. The last of the War Dragons have fallen, the hunt has cost her much, most of her troops were dead and even more were wounded. She couldn't care less, they are just meat, cannon fodder which can be replaced easily, she had all the gems in the world and the world is full of greedy cutthroats. The openings in the mountain ahead told her that it was worth it, within them were riches that only the most cruel beings would value, she was one of them.

She landed near one of the upper caves, just when her paws silently touched the ground she could hear quiet whispers and steps coming from inside. She purposely scratched the stony floor with her claw and just as she thought the barely hearable noises died instantly. She grinned and ventured into the cave wondering if life can get any better than this.

" Hello? Is anybody home?" she shouted with certain amusement and malevolence in her tone. All the noise in the cave died instantly at the sound of her voice.

She chuckled quietly and began to venture deeper into the dark cave whistling a calm melody that echoed throughout the whole den. To make things interesting she placed her paws on the ground in such a way that her claws emitted a loud _click_ on the stony floor as she walked. An amused rumble ran through her throat when she imagined what these defenseless creatures could be feeling right now, they were trapped in this cave, with nowhere to run and the increasing sound of her voice and steps was everything they could hear.

As she walked down the dark corridor she saw a flicker of a dim light ahead that disappeared moments later, just like somebody would kill a torch. The smile on her snout grew wider, she was getting close. Despite the thick darkness she could feel that she arrived in one of the larger places in the cave, the walls weren't now scratching her scales and the ceiling seemed to be much higher.

Even if she didn't see anything she could feel that this is the place where the innocents are hiding, she could smell their fear, she could feel their fast beating hearts. She stopped walking and whistling, she stood there motionless, listening to the addictive noise and inhaling the most wonderful scent, she closed her eyes and drifted away.

With a deep sigh she opened her eyes and instantly released a shadow fire high in the ceiling, the breath illuminated the whole cave instantly. Terrified screams and cries filled the place, for a blink of a second she could see all these scared snouts and faces before the flame died down and the cave was covered in darkness once again.

Something bumped into her foreleg, she grabbed it between her claws and lifted the thing up. Judging by the horrible trembling, squeaks and little wings, she was holding a little dragon hatchling in her paw. She could barely hear the child thanks to the terrified screams of the nearby cats and dragons.

" Let's all calm down and talk like civilized beings!" she shouted angrily and silenced the crowd momentarily.

" I'm holding a kid here, I suspect that he is one of yours?"

"No!" a wavering female shout came from the darkness " Please, he is just a child!"

" Relax" she tried to calm the dragoness who was most likely his mother with a soft tone " Light up the torches so we might actually see something. We don't want him to get lost do we now?"

" Please!"

" Light up the torches" she replied coldly

There was a moment of silence and hesitation, but eventually the torches began to burn and light filled the cave.

The group wasn't as big as she expected it to be, a couple of withered cheetahs were huddled up in a corner, three young female dragons were laying on the ground. Not all dragons are born fighters, some choose a more peaceful life. Three young and small snouts were visible from below the dragonesses wings, with the one she was holding that made four children in total.

" There you go" she smiled kindly and looked at the child with caring eyes " Be good, little one, and run to your mother, ok?" she kissed the child on the forehead, and as she did so she heard a muffled scream which came from one of the dragonesses. With a mischievous smile she put down the hatchling and as soon as his paws touched the ground he scuttled with the speed of light and hid under his mother's wing, squeaking in fear.

She smiled wryly " Now when we all are here let me introduce myself" she touched her chest " I'm Cynder, you might have heard of me, if not you can always call me…" she scratched the silver choker on her neck thoughtfully " Damn I need a nickname" she shook her head and focused on the group again " Anyhoo, I have some good and bad news. The good news is that I have won, but you probably figured it out already since I'm standing right before you, duh. Even if you expected it, a little applause won't hurt, come on, don't be shy!" she exclaimed happily.

The group remained silent

"Come on!" she urged them some more with the same cheerful tone

As previously there was no reaction

Her eyes flared up with sheer anger " I need an applause!" she roared

The cornered civilians yelped in dread and began clapping instantly in a very hectic manner

" There you go! It wasn't that hard, was it?" she started to bow her head " Thank you, thank you, you are too kind. What have I done to deserve such a welcome?" she stomped her paw playfully " Oh, now I remember!"

She cleared her throat, dropping the cheerful mood and silencing the group as a result " Now it's the time for some bad news, mind you that they are bad for you not for me, that's a very important detail since no bad news follow me around. As you may know, your fathers, friends, mates or whatever won't be coming to visit you. They all are…"

She scratched the choker again " How to put it mildly?" she muttered to herself and shook her head "I've slaughtered them all, I've painted the ground with their blood and decorated the walls with their guts and all they could do was to beg me to spare their mates and children while I disemboweled them" she snorted " Bunch of whiners"

" You will pay for this!" one of the female dragons yelled, while streams of tears flown down from her eyes, with all emotions released in a single shout, she sobbed and hid behind a rock.

She rolled her eyes " Yeah, yeah, you know how many times I hear that line? Come on people, be creative!"

" Thou shan't find peace and fall under the weight of thy deeds, those who disdain pure life shall become its prey" a rasped feline voice reached her.

She pointed a claw on the old cheetah " Now that's what I'm talking about!" she looked at the withered cat with an amused gaze "Hate to ruin your perspective Old Guy but I don't believe in those curses and the like" after a moment of silence she scratched the choker on her neck again " But let's say that you are right and karma will kick me in the ass someday, will NOT killing you satisfy karma?"

She stirred a slight commotion amongst the group, they began whispering and muttering something between themselves, just like they wanted to make sure they heard her correctly.

She held her paw in the air in a dismissive manner " Ok don't bother, I already know the answer" she sighed " Yes, I've never wanted to kill you, in fact I've planned to leave you here"

" You…you…w…will…le…le…leave us a…a…alone?" one of the female dragons stammered

" A shock right? I'm not that cruel as you may think"

Happy murmurs filled the cave, no one of them could believe what's happening.

" Ok then" she blurt out " I'll leave you here" with that she disappeared into the dark corridor

Silent screams of joy, loud sighs of relief and many other happy emotions were shared amongst the fragile group after the black dragoness left them. The cheery mood was interrupted by a black snout with green eyes emerging from the shadows.

" Did I say how long I want you stay here?"

"No" everyone in the group replied with a wavering tone.

" Let's see…" she scratched the choker once more " Today we have…tomorrow is…this war will end…" she looked at the group and smiled " Forever" with that she breathed a strong gust of wind at the ceiling.

It was so powerful that the corridor caved-in instantly. An avalanche of rocks blocked the cavern where the civilians were hiding. Some muffled terrified screams were the last thing she heard before the only way for them to leave this den was obstructed by a pile of rocks.

She patted one of the stones in admiration, this was the first time she kept a promise, they will remain in that cavern forever, even after their deaths which will come soon thanks to the lack of air, they will still be there, well at least their bones will, but for her it still counts. When the dust began to sting her eyes she turned around and made her way towards the exit.

" It's time to find me a nickname" she muttered to herself when a soft breeze of wind caressed her snout.

* * *

Once the mountain was the hiding place for all those who couldn't fight, a safe haven even in this difficult times, a sign that there is always hope, always a time for some normality even during a war. Now the caves weren't a beacon for all those seeking refuge, now they were graves, mass graves, where people were buried alive. Every single cave was collapsed, their entrances blocked by piles of massive rocks. Only dust hung in the air, a sign that the times have changed, her chest swelled with pride when she realized that is was her actions that turned the world upside down.

"No, no, no, no, no, no" she repeated irritated while withdrawing her bloody claws from one of the cheetah's chest. The broken corpse fell lifelessly to the ground, with a stream of blood flowing from its mouth as it hit the ground, it landed next to the body of a freshly killed cub.

She sighed in boredom " People be innovative, just look at them" she gesticulated with her paw at the line of bloody and broken corpses, there were plenty of them, females and children, both dragon and cheetah. " You really want to join them? I doubt it, so start thinking!" she exclaimed angrily and sighed tiredly before pointing blindly a claw on the trembling crowd of females and children who had troubles catching breath thanks to the choking fear.

"Next!" she yelled and rubbed her forehead, this whole thing got her a headache. After a while of silence she rolled her eyes " Do we every time have to go through this?" as no one from the group reacted to her commanding shout, she had to approach them herself. " You two, come here" she pointed her claw at one dragoness and her single child.

A pewter dragoness and an adolescent green dragon with small bladelike plates on his chin hesitatingly stepped out from the crowd.

She emitted a bored sigh " Ok this is the last time when I repeat the rules so pay attention." She pointed her claw at the female " Your job is to find me a nickname, something that I would like, something out of the ordinary, be innovative!" she looked at the dragoness with emotionless gaze " I'll punish you for every name I won't like, I'll break a bone here, make a cut there and so on and so on until you will be barely left alive, just then I will slaughter your brat. You will see how I rip him to shreds before you die, after all everybody needs some nice memories."

She emitted another bored sigh, clearly tired from repeating the same thing over and over again " If by any chance you will think of a nickname that I will like, I will stop torturing you and release your kid so he can spread the word. A fair deal right? You can take your time, there is no rush, but don't think for too long, my patience has its limits" her eyes sparkled with joy " Everything's clear. Great, now let's begin" she began walking around the dragoness waiting for her answer.

" Vanquisher" the female muttered after a moment of silence.

She stopped and considered the answer " Nah, to common" she slashed her claws, creating a long deep cut on the dragonesses side, the female groaned in pain. The young dragon couldn't bare the sight, he covered himself with his wings.

She waved her paw around " Go on, go on" she urged the dragoness

Another moment of silence has passed as the female fought with pain " Bloodwing" the dragoness finally hissed through clenched teeth

" Bloodwing, Bloodwing…" she muttered while scratching the choker thoughtfully " Nah, it sounds like a bird name to me" with that she swung her tail and cut the dragonesses left paws making her fall to the ground with a painful scream.

" I want a nickname…a nickname that people will associate with me and only me, something special. Think" she wiped the blood from the blade like tip on her tail and started to circle the female once again.

The dragoness groaned in pain, using every free second to slow her rapid breathing and to prepare herself for another surge of an almost unbearable pain if the black dragoness won't like her answer.

"Doombringer" the female finally hissed

She stopped in her tracks and considered the answer, after a moment she began to nod her head approvingly " A good one, a really good one, but a little too pregnant" with that she hit the female making her spit blood. Then she ordered some of her men to spread the dragonesses wing as far as possible and hold it still. She flapped her wings and raised into the air, after she reached the desired altitude she spun around and dived. Just when she was getting close to the ground she prepared to land however she didn't really focus on slowing down. Instead of aiming on solid ground she headed directly at the female's opened wing, the speed and her weight was too much for the wing. Some bones shattered completely after she landed on the it, while some others pierced the female's scales creating an open fracture, the wing was completely broken.

The pewter dragoness agonizing shriek echoed throughout the mountains, the shriek was soon replaced by horrible screams as the pain pulsed through her body. The moment she moved her wing some more bones snapped sending another surge of anguish through her, the intense pain squeezed tears from her eyes and soon she began to cry.

She was unmoved by the female's rapid breathing and weeping, she stepped from the wing and began to circle the dragoness like nothing ever happened. " When people see me they know that I'm their end. My name should say that I'm not only going to steal their lives,,," the column of light could be seen behind her, however her big form prevented it to illuminate the surroundings.

"… but also something else, something that gives them will to fight, a symbol of hope. I want to show them that they can't count on it when I'm around, I want to show them that I will even steal something like this from them."

When she noticed a shadow on the ground the female lifted her head and looked at the black dragoness that blocked the light in front of her with watery eyes. " Lightbane" she sobbed

She froze in place while her eyes shot wide open, soon she began to nod her head " I can't believe I will say this but we have a winner!" she exclaimed and pointed a claw at the young dragon " Kid you should be proud of your mother"

He ignored her, his mother took all of his concentration, he started to approach her, to hug her and somehow ease her suffering.

She blocked his path with her tail " No time for cuddling, you have a job to do. You will spread that name in every place you visit, I want people to know about it. I'm giving you two months, if you will be a good boy I'll let you live and I will even leave your mother alone. If after two months I won't hear my new nickname, then…well you know what's going to happen. As you see time is of the essence so of you go!"

The young dragon stared at his mother, he would most likely ignore her order if not for a single nod from the pewter dragoness. He sobbed and after a while turned around and started to fly away.

She stared at the disappearing shape of the young dragon in the distance " Lightbane" she huffed and swung her tail, not paying any attention to the sound of cracking bones behind her.

"Lighbane" she repeated the word in a full of awe voice and swung her tail again

" I like it" she stated with full satisfaction, completely ignoring the pewter female head rolling down from the elevation.

* * *

Cynder gasped and opened her eyes, another one of those strange dreams struck her, she was sweating and breathing rapidly, once again she had to calm herself down. She was laying on her right side on the soft bed, staring at the gloomy wall of her room ahead. It would be completely dark if not for the moon sending its light through the windows and the big glass door. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling while rubbing her forehead, the dancing moonlight on the ceiling helped her to calm down. She rolled onto her other side, to look at her gracious friend. The moment she looked at the glass doors, her eyes went wide open, there was a purple dragon standing on the balcony, his tail was swaying slowly as he observed the sleepy city.

" Spyro?" Cynder muttered to herself, his visit surprised her.

She rolled from the bed and began walking towards the door " Spyro? What are you doing here?" she asked but this time quite louder. He stood in the same place, it seemed he didn't hear her. She wanted to open the door but to her surprise they were locked, she knocked on the glass instead " Spyro?"

His tail stopped moving and after a while he slowly began to turn around, she gasped when his brown eyes looked at her, she jumped back when he pressed himself on the window, the blood flowing down from the deep wound on his chest started to cover the door.

She winced when she heard three knocks " Let me in!" he shouted in a raspy voice

Cynder began slowly taking some steps back while staring at the figure ahead " You are not real! You are not real!" she yelled back in fear

Another three knocks, this time however they seemed to be coming from inside her head, her paws bent under her at the sound. " Cynder, let me in!" he yelled again and began to scratch the window with his bloody claws.

" Get out!" she screamed while still moving backwards.

Three knocks again, they were so strong that she fell on the ground " Let me in!" he roared and started to chew the glass, his teeth began to shatter as he did so.

" You are not there!" she yelped in pain

Three knocks once again, these seemed to be pounding at her brain from inside her skull, just like something was inside her head and swung its hammer just to strike her brain, sending surges of pain through her skull, just like it was about to explode. " Let me in!" he roared again and jumped on the window to scratch the glass with his paws, just like a cat who really wants to get inside a house.

She pulled herself up and ran behind the bed, she dropped to the ground covering herself with her wings and placing her paws on her pounding head, she began to sway like a cradle while wincing from the agonizing pain.

" LEAVE ME ALONE!" Cynder roared at the top of her lungs.

There was silence, an addictive and most welcoming silence. She blinked her eyes, the pain has faded and the blood freezing sounds were gone. She uncovered herself and pressed herself against the side of the bed, taking a deep breath she began slowly to crane her neck upwards. Her heart pounded faster and faster when her eyes were just about to reach the top of the bed, and when finally they did she sighed in relief. There was nothing there, no scary looking dragon, no blood or scratches on the glass, only the calm silvery moon could be seen in the distance.

After a while of staring at the door she pulled herself on the bed and rolled on her back to look at the calm moonlight on the ceiling once again, it was so pleasant to look at that, it helped her to drift away into a blissful sleep. A strange sound has stirred her awake, it almost sounded like somebody was eating, not far away, the chewing sound came from ahead of her.

Cynder opened her eyes just to see the broken body of a purple dragon standing on her, her eyelids went wide open when she saw bits of black and magenta scales protruding from his blood covered mouth before they disappeared down his gullet. The dragon lowered his head and her eyes impulsively went after it. The moment her eyes went down she saw her belly completely torn open, some of her own guts stood out from the deep red hole and blood flown down from her torn belly, covering the white sheets in dark red hue.

She screamed and began to thrash when the dragon took another bite, tearing bits of her own flesh as a result. She kept shrieking and screaming but couldn't move, something was holding her paws. She looked in panic at her stretched forelegs, her paws were trapped, some thick chains were wrapped around them. She began to jerk and crane her neck just to break herself free, but no matter what she did she couldn't reach the chains. She looked at the dragon, he was staring at her with his brown eyes while blood dripped from his chin. She emitted one last terrified shriek when he opened his maw and with a growl reached for her throat.

* * *

Cynder gasped and her eyes snapped wide open, she was laying on the bed on her side staring at the bright wall ahead, the sun perfectly illuminated it with its light. _The sun, _that single thought forced her to roll over on her other side and to look at the glass door. There was nothing there, Cynder quickly slid from the bed and made her way towards the door, she hesitatingly extended her paw and pressed the handle, the door opened without problems. With uncertain steps she stepped onto the balcony and looked around, she couldn't see any sign telling her that somebody was standing here.

Cynder rubbed her forehead " I'm officially going crazy" with that dire statement she left the balcony and closed the door.

She jumped when she heard three knocks, but this time they seemed to be coming from the door on the opposite side of the room.

" Cynder, let me in!" a familiar muffled shout came from behind the door

" Spyro?" she muttered to herself and without thinking ran towards the door. She opened them just to see a familiar snout in front of her.

" You won't believe what just happened!" Spyro blurt out with an excited tone " a guy just arrived in the City Hall, nothing special you will say I know, but if you hear the rest of the…" his voice trailed off and he furrowed a brow when he saw her craning her neck through the doorstep so she could turn her head from side to side as if she was looking for something "Ummm Cynder, is everything alright?" Spyro asked surprised

She looked at him and smiled implausibly " Yeah, I'll be right there, give me a sec" she hid inside her room and slammed the door shut.

Cynder leaned against them and sighed, that dream felt so real, just like the previous one. It left a strange sensation, like she was there personally and not walking in a dream world. She stretched her wing and winced, a surge of pain ran through it. Momentarily her chest began to ache, it was a dull pain but it was there, exactly in the place where the dragon from her dream slammed his tail. Pain was not the only thing she felt, the taste of rotten meat and dried blood invaded her mouth, Cynder instantly began to rub her tongue just to get rid of the taste somehow. She also felt tired, even if she woke up in the morning she felt like she hasn't slept a single hour.

" What is happening with me?" she asked herself with a glimmer of fear in her voice.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Cynder left her room, the last night's experience still lingering on her mind. As she walked the corridor her concentration has shifted, a loud noise echoed through the hallway, it was coming from downstairs. Without a doubt something was going on, her weird dream still bothered her but an opportunity presented itself that might actually help her forget about that excruciating night, even if for a little while.

As she began to descend the stairs, she noticed the reason behind this noise, Cyndor stopped halfway and started to observe the scene below. There was a big crowd gathered in the City Hall, moles, cheetahs, dragons and even the three Guardians could be seen amongst the mob. She couldn't make out any words thanks to the many throats shouting at the same time, however Cynder could recognize some of the voices.

Somehow she wasn't surprised that Volteer was the most active, his fast chatter stood out from the rest. He might be a little eccentric but one thing is certain, usually, when something piques the Electric Guardian's interest, it has to be important. The reason behind this commotion was a single mole, she could see his typical clothes, his typical googles , essentially he wasn't any different from every other mole she met. She didn't understand what made him so special.

"Look who do we have here" Sparx stated with faked excitement while looking at her from the bottoms of the stairs " it seems our Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up"

" We girls need our beauty sleep, right Sparx?" Cynder replied while the corner of her mouth twitched into a weak smile

" In your case one night won't help" he smirked

" Nice to see that everyone is in a good mood" Spyro joined the conversation in a sarcastic manner while craning his neck from behind a column which stood next to the stairs.

Cynder started to descend the stairs and greeted her friend with a happy smile " So what did I miss?"

Sparx folded his arms in irritation " Some old guy just came in, made a fuss and was completely surrounded by fans soon after. Can you imagine that they have forgotten about their coolest heroes?"

"Noooo" she smiled wryly " You were turned down?"

" Pretty much" Spyro replied unconcerned

Cynder giggled and joined them as soon as she descended the stairs " I can't believe it"

Sparx snorted angrily " Tell me about it" he accusatively pointed at Spyro " I've told you to go there and fight for our fame"

Cynder looked at Spyro curiously " You didn't ask the guy any questions?"

Spyro chuckled " Crowds scare me lately"

She laughed " I see" with that she turned to look at the noisy mob " Fill me in, who's our new star?"

Sparx snorted incredulously " Star"

Spyro leaned closer to her " He is the guy who designed Warfang, he created the building plans for the city and all that"

Cynder furrowed a brow " Huh? And they are thanking him for that now? That ship has sailed a long time ago"

" They didn't have a chance to thank him earlier"

" What do you mean?"

" He…ummm.." Spyro's voice wavered as he looked for a correct word " he passed away a couple of years ago" he gave her an implausible smile

Cynder frowned " You are a terrible liar. Tell me the truth"

" I just did!" he blurt out half-heartedly

" The truth Spyro" she narrowed her eyes and brought this argument to an end with a firm tone that left no room for objections

He sighed in defeat " He was really dead it's just that umm…" he scratched the floor nervously with his claw and began to stare at the ground " he didn't die of natural causes, he…" Spyro swallowed " you killed him when you were corrupted"

Cynder's resolute expression has vanished as she once again found that he lied only just to spare her the feeling of guilt " Oh"

Sparx threw his arms in the air in agitation "Great! I should have known, whenever people ignore us its always Cynder behind it"

She rolled her eyes" Stop whining"

The dragonfly snorted " You can't do one thing correctly, now even a zombie mole is more popular than us because of you, look, you couldn't even kill him properly!" he waved his hand in resignation " Thank you very much for such an evil dragoness"

"Sparx!" Spyro admonished his brother

Cynder threw the dragonfly an irritated glance " You are terribly annoying, you know that?"

"So are you" he replied bluntly

Spyro sighed and shook his head.

Cynder ignored Sparx and focused on the crowd once more " If I killed him then how come this guy is still kicking?"

" Now that's what I've tried to find out" Spyro said with a clearly curious voice " but then all these people barged in and…you know. Anyway from what I've heard he doesn't really believe he was dead, supposedly he just been walking on of the alleyways and suddenly all these people started screaming"

Cynder thought about it for a moment, and it made no sense to her, however Meadow told them once that magic might have some dire side effects on creatures that have no magical potency, just like the moles, he might got lost all those years ago for all she knew. Amnesia is a very possible outcome from such a situation, he might be delirious as well. Whatever the case there is only one dragon who can shed some light on this, hopefully, and that's the Electric Guardian.

" I don't know what to make out of it, we better wait for Volteer, he will for sure find a way to help us, or him for the instance" she said

Spyro nodded his head " Yup, good idea"

And they've waited and waited and waited, the crowd was getting thinner and thinner with each minute, the noise was slowly fading away, everything was getting back to normal. Only a single amber dragon kept wagging his tongue without even a single break, he kept talking and talking until there was practically no one left around the mole expect for him and two other Guardians, who gave up moments later.

"Cyril!" Spyro shouted and waved to gain the attention of the ice dragon

With an exhausted expression the Guardian looked at him and plodded his way

" I know why you called me" he started with a tired voice " and I'm grateful for it, I have enough of Volteer's rambling for a lifetime"

Spyro smiled " Glad I could help. Anyway that mole, is he really the constructor of Warfang?"

He nodded glumly " I'm afraid so"

Cynder cocked her head " Why are you so sad? He's alive, that's a good thing isn't it?"

"Normally yes, but…" Cyril's eyes sparkled " But we are dragons! We've been revered, we should be revered, and a city in our honor is the least thing they can do for us! After all these years Warfang finally serves its true purpose, we are the most respected and feared creatures in the whole Realms, just like our Ancestors before us! But now" he hissed and an icy mist escaped from his nostrils " Now it's all going to change! Warfang once again will become our prison!"

Sparx hovered between both young dragons and covered his mouth with his hand " The guy is losing it, Cynder are you sure you aren't related?" he whispered

Cynder snorted while Spyro completely ignored his brother's comment, he was entirely focused on the Guardian

" What do you mean? Our prison, how?" Spyro asked with a surprised voice

" Yes prison!" Cyril growled " the mole who just miraculously came back to life, his name is Brill, I knew him for years. He founded this city not to honor us but to protect us!" he snorted "Us! As we need somebody's protection!"

There was a moment of silence as he took some deep breaths to calm himself a little " We were revered back in the days, we were incarnations of perfection for the moles, we were treated almost like gods. That glorification led to the construction of Warfang which main role was to hide us from the outside world so we couldn't get harmed or bruised! We were kept here like a bunch of precious children, always under the watchful eye of our overprotective fathers, far from harm's way"

Cynder scratched her choker " If what you say is truth then it means that I unknowingly saved my race from living under a dome by killing Brill?"

Cyril shook his head " Not quite, some of our kind are less…ambitious than the others, some of us preferred our dome as you have called it. Brill's death created a door for us which some opened without any second thoughts and that path led us straight under your sharp claws. Would it be better if we stayed in our little heaven? We will never know"

Spyro was watching Cynder with caring eyes, she stood next to him with her head hanging low, he delicately nipped her thigh a couple times with the tip on his tail, her emerald orbs shimmered after that simple move also a smile formed itself on her snout when she looked at him with a corner of her eye.

With a smile of his own Spyro focused on Cyril once again " One death changed so much, was Brill…"

" Is" Sparx interjected

"…is Brill so important?"

Cyril sighed " Unfortunately he is, as you already know moles are wild about technology, they greatly value their inventors, constructors, basically everyone who does something extraordinary"

" That's strange, I've met some moles during my travels who created great things like founding a city underground, for me building a city below ground is more outstanding that creating one above it. For me Brill wasn't…"

" Isn't" Sparx interjected once more

Spyro sighed "…isn't that special"

Cyril nodded " You are right Spyro but don't forget who we are or were for the moles. Brill designed everything from the simplest statue to the complex temple, and he did all this for the creatures the moles revered-dragons. After this accomplishment he has gained tremendous respect and authority. There was even time when Guardians were reduced to symbolic role while Brill decided about everything that was going on in the city"

Spyro's eyes went wide open " He was…"

" Is" Sparx once again interjected

Spyro glowered his brother, the whole situation made Cynder giggle.

"…is our leader?" he hissed

"Leader! Bah!" Cyril blurt out angrily " We are dragons! There is no creature in the whole world who can commands us!" he snorted, another icy mist shot from his nostrils, with one deep breath he calmed himself once more " However, the moles treated us with utmost respect, and when I realized what was going on it was already too late, the moles almost began to worship us. We just couldn't turn on our allies like that, so we lived in that little _paradise_ of ours" he growled

Cynde shrugged " I don't understand you, he seems like a nice guy to me, he tried his best to make you feel happy, how could he know that you take it the wrong way?"

The Ice Guardian narrowed his pupils on the black dragoness " He's dangerous" he replied bluntly " Brill is charismatic and very persuasive, sooner or later the moles will follow him again, but thanks to your actions dragons are more feared this day than revered, this gives us time."

" I'm happy to help" she whispered half-heartedly

" Watch yourself Cynder, he died when your reputation as Malefor's General was known all around the Realms, he will most likely recognize you, even if he won't, there are sure people here who will tell him about you."

Spyro instantly looked alarmed " Cynder is in danger?" he raised his voice

Cyril looked at Spyro with unconcerned eyes " Isn't she always?" with that he focused on Cynder once more " Brill is a zealot, he worships us, he almost became the head of Warfang's temple. Keep that in mind, for him you are nothing else than a defiler, you betrayed your own kind, you befouled his incarnations of perfection, and if he didn't change he will try to cleanse that stain and Cynder, you are that taint"

" Then stop him!" Spyro yelled

" We will try, times have changed, now we rule this city but as I said Brill is persuasive, he will convince people eventually that you cannot be trusted completely, not to mention that your reputation will make things easier for him"

" Cynder helped me to save the world, she deserves respect! You cannot allow people to mock her!" Spyro protested vigorously

" Spyro-"

" No!" he cut Cynder off and looked her straight in the eyes " You don't deserve such treatment, it wasn't your fault!" his fiery amethyst eyes stopped on the Ice Guardian " I want to ask you if you c…no…I demand that you ensure she is safe in the city!" Spyro shouted with a commanding tone

Cyril stared at the purple dragon with eyes filled with disbelief that soon sparkled for a brief second with sheer wrath just to return to their normal form moments later " I know that you are upset" Cyril started with a calm voice " we will make sure that Cynder won't be harmed"

A loud shout carrying the ice dragon's name came from the Guardian's Quarters, Cyril emitted an discouraged sigh " I have to go as one of the Guardians I unfortunately have to welcome our new old guest. Watch out for Brill, he is nothing but trouble despite what others may say, also Volteer wanted to speak with you. However I propose you give him some space, with the unexpected appearance he is more jumpy than ever, come back later. Take care" with a nod Cyril has vanished into the Guardians Quarters.

" Just great" Sparx huffed in resignation " from all the dead guys we had to run across the most crazy one. Just our luck."

" What the hell was that Spyro?" Cynder blurt out indignantly

" What?" he exclaimed with an angry voice

" You know exactly what I'm talking about"

" No I don't"

Cynder growled " Stop acting like a fool, how many times do I have to tell you that I can take care of myself?"

" As much as you want to I won't listen anyway"

" Idiot"

Spyro snorted " Call me what you like, I will protect you anyway"

She cackled wryly " Protect me?! I don't need protection!"

" Yes you do!" he shouted " the sooner you realize this the better!"

" I'm not some kind of a damsel in distress, I can defend myself!"

Spyro chuckled in disbelief " Didn't you hear what Cyril said? You may have the whole city on your head!"

" He is overreacting! You really think that one guy can make such a fuss?" she snorted " even if that was the truth I can solve my own problems!"

" Your own problems!?" Spyro laughed and shook his head " You have a friend now, what bothers you bothers me, live with it!"

Cynder roared " You stubborn bastard! I've made this mess and I'm going to clean it myself!"

" Like hell you will!"

" You are insufferable!" she blurt out irritated " Whatever, yell as much as you want, I won't be dragging you into my own mess!"

Spyro's eyes sparkled furiously " Did it ever crossed your mind that maybe I want to be dragged?!"

Cynder snorted, a poison cloud escaped through her nostrils " If you really want to follow me then do it, I don't care!"

" Fine!"

" Fine!"

Sparx whistled gaining the attention of both young dragons immediately " Now when you two finally shut up, what about we go grab a bite and blow off some steam? What do you say?"

* * *

They've returned to the Mess Hall in foul moods, expect for Sparx ,he was flying around in circles always talking, laughing and the like. Both dragons followed him in silence, they've got some other things on their minds than a simple meal. The group arrived at the counter, Sparx hovered in front of the mole and ordered something to eat in a very cheerful manner, finishing his sentence with _ " _My good lady". Another proof that nothing bothered him since they've learned already that the female moles serving the food are an opposite of good.

When Spyro's turn came he didn't think much and ordered the same thing as yesterday, he was completely unconcerned about the things he will eat. The mole returned with the dish and offered it to the purple dragon without any problems, he accepted the gift, not even the smallest smile could be seen on his snout. It was a different story with Cynder, when her turn came the moles once again began to mutter and taunt her, she just stood there silently staring at the females, they've kept shouting towards her to leave since there are many other hungry bellies waiting for their turn. It didn't bother her, she remained still even despite the angry growls behind her, the moles finally gave up and served her the same dish as before, Cynder took it without even the simplest thank you.

As they returned to the previously occupied table Sparx was already there munching his breakfast. Spyro sat next to him while Cynder took a place on the opposite side, they've put the plates in front of them and as they did so they quickly looked at each other just to avert their gazes moments later.

Sparx observed the scene while taking a bite of the fruit he held in his hand " Nice weather, huh?"

Both dragons just threw him a quick glance before they returned to look around the room.

The dragonfly took another bite " I don't know how about you but today I have quite an appetite. Any ideas why?" he looked at both dragons

They were still sitting silently while their heads kept turning just like they were admiring the view.

Sparx snapped his fingers " A good talk during a breakfast always makes my day better" he added sarcastically

There was still no response from the dragons

The dragonfly sighed and put down the fruit " Enough of this" he muttered and using his hand slammed the top of the table making both dragons jump while they looked at him with wide eyes " Either you behave or you go to your rooms!" he shouted angrily.

They only stared at him with surprised expressions

Sparx grinned " I always wanted to say that. But seriously guys stop acting like some offended kids and start eating. I tell you hunger does this to you, no kidding"

Their expressions didn't change

Sparx sighed and shook his head " I see that you don't get it. Watch" he picked up the fruit " Take your food" he moved his hand closer to his head " open your mouth and take a bite!" he bit the fruit. Sparx rumbled enthusiastically when a piece of the fruit disappeared down his gullet " Your turn"

After they averted their gazes they looked at each other, the moment their eyes met they both instantly started to stare at the plates in front of them. After a while they once again looked at each other.

After a moment of silent staring Cynder lowered her head " I'm sorry" she whispered almost painfully

" No, I'm sorry" Spyro answered instantly

She raised her head "It's my fault-"

" I never should have-" Spyro interjected cutting Cynder off

" How could I-" she said before he could finish his sentence

"I shouldn't push-"

" I can't allow-"

"I need to-"

Sparx shook his head while holding it just like he was in pain " Ok that's enough!" he exclaimed " Maybe I didn't make myself clear, my bad but start eating and shut up will you?!" he snarled

They both looked at the dragonfly just to stare at each other moments later, the moment their eyes met they laughed.

* * *

Cynder yawned and with a smile took a bite of her food, she chewed it happily and swallowed it down with even more enthusiasm. Licking her mouth she prepared to take another bite, just when the meat was close to her mouth she stopped. She clicked her tongue just like she would be tasting a wine, something was not right, she smelled the meat and jerked her head back in abhorrence, it stink horribly. Putting down the food Cynder clicked her tongue some more, she winced when the taste of a rotten meat invaded her palate. she looked at her plate, something else appeared there instead of a deliciously looking food. A piece of rotten meat laid on the plate, a grey layer already covered most it while some other bits were already crawling with tiny worms, they were slithering all over the table.

Cynder shook her head and clicked her tongue once again, however nothing helped, the ugly taste was still there " Can we order some juice?" she asked while wincing in disgust

Sparx shrugged " Why not?"

"Ok then-"

" I'll get it!" Spyro exclaimed and dashed towards the counter

Cynder looked at the plate again and averted her gaze quickly when she spotted the form of a worm, she looked around the room trying to think about something else, didn't matter what as long it's not related with food. She tried the weather, the battles, even thought about Spyro and her feelings towards him but nothing helped, her mind always returned to the meat, its look and ugly taste. She jumped when a pitcher landed on the table which was filled with orange juice.

Spyro looked at Sparx " Whoa, it took some convincing but I've managed to get it somehow. There is plenty of juice in there, we won't even drink it…" his voice trailed off as he looked at the pitcher which was now in Cynder's paw. She kept drinking and drinking and not slowly but very quickly, it seemed like she poured as much as possible juice into her mouth and swallowed it, the bulge that was moving down her throat only confirmed this.

His eyes went wide open when she put down the now empty pitcher, not even a single drop remained inside it "…all" Spyro muttered when he looked at her.

Cynder gasped and licked her mouth, completely satisfied that she was able to quell the horrible taste. The eerie silence bothered her however, she looked around just to see both brothers staring at her with wide eyes.

She smiled " Thirsty"

The brothers only exchanged confused glances between themselves and shrugged before returning to their breakfast.

She observed them as they were eating, making sure that she is ok, it seemed she was since she couldn't taste , see or smell anything. With a satisfied nod Cynder looked at her plate and jerked as she saw the familiar ugly sight once more, and the stench, it was even more intense than before. She looked at Spyro and gagged when she saw as he was chewing a rotten piece of meat, dried blood covered his snout and disgusting worms were falling down from his mouth.

Cynder averted her gaze, unfortunately her emerald eyes stopped on Sparx who instead of juicy fruits was eating what looked like rotten still beating hearts. Horribly smelling blood poured from them as he took a bite, to make things worse worms starting to slither from the hole his teeth made. He took another bite but this time he carried a bunch of living worms with him which soon were crashed between his teeth. Cynder felt as her insides twisted and soon she began to retch.

" I'll wait outside!" she yelled, accidently pushing her plate onto the ground as she dashed towards the exit

The door swung wide open when she barged through them, when in the street she started to look around, the awful taste and smell followed her, it was so horrible that it made her sick. Cynder ran alongside the wall of the Mess Hall until she found an alleyway, it wasn't big but it was empty. She entered it, stopped near a wall of a nearby building and started to retch. Cynder felt as everything was raising inside her towards her throat but nothing came out. She began to cough and tears started to cover her eyes, she kept gagging until the horrible feeling subsided along with the disgusting taste and smell.

" Fuck" she cursed under her breath between quick shallow breaths and spat on the ground soon later just to free herself from the faint awkward sensation.

After regaining her composure she decided to return to her friends, just after she rounded a corner she noticed a very muscular malachite drake standing near the entrance to the Mess Hall, the dragon named Capro was looking her way, just like he was expecting her. Without hesitation she approached him with her head held up high.

" We aren't feeling well today?" Capro asked with a wryly tone and mischievous grin

"None of your damn business" Cynder retorted coldly and coughed.

The grin on his snout grew wider " I've heard you from here and I was worried that I've missed the opportunity of seeing you in pain and spitting your lungs out"

" Dream on coward"

The drakes eyes flared " Watch out for that poisonous tongue of yours Lightbane or someone might actually tear it off"

Cynder touched her chest in a theatrical manner " Awww" she said with a fake guilt in her voice " Did I bruise your ego? I didn't mean to, really" she smirked

Capro growled " When the time comes I'll bruise something more than just your ego"

She narrowed her eyes on him " Words alone are meaningless"

He grinned evilly " I couldn't agree more but thanks to the lucky turn of events I've heard of someone who prefers action"

She snorted " You will have to man up since you've heard wrong. I can give you my word"

Capro's eyes sparkled intensively that it was hard not to notice it " Your word means nothing to me!" he roared making all the nearby windows scream in pain.

Cynder jerked back in surprise " Whoa, here I thought that you can control yourself but you are acting like I've killed your mother" she cackled wickedly

He growled, bent on his paws and froze his tail " I'm not going to wait, I'll tear you to shreds here and now"

Just when he was about to pounce at her the Mess Hall door swung open, Spyro and Sparx were in the doorstep with quite a big group of people standing behind them " Cynder what's going on?" Spyro blurt out with a worried voice.

There was a moment of silence, as both the malachite dragon and the black dragoness played a game of stare, they both didn't want to back up but eventually Capro started to laugh cheerfully " And this is how I'll warn you next time, you will hear me for sure"

Cynder thought about it for a moment, and decided to play along, this was her mess after all. She started to laugh " Yeah even if I forget who roared the shaking windows will always remind me of you"

He nodded with fake approvement " Exactly, a warning is necessary, we don't want anyone to get hurt"

" Who would want that?" she asked rhetorically

Capro smiled kindly and made his way towards the Mess Hall " With everything that's going on in the city I'll have no problems in making your life miserable. I promise" he said it with such a tone that everybody would take it as a joke or for an innocent flirt but she knew better and that brief shimmer in his eyes as he entered the building only confirmed that he was serious.

" I can't wait!" Cynder exclaimed in the same seductive tone and wriggled her shoulders flirtouresly

Spyro watched the dragon as he entered the building and the longer he observed him the more he didn't like him, it was odd since he barely knows the drake but he couldn't help it, despise for him grew with every second.

" What was that about?" Spyro hissed when he looked at his female friend

Cynder waved her paw dismissively " Oh nothing important, we were just fooling around" the fake smile still remained on her snout

"Really?" he blurt out irritated " looks like you had a very good time"

"You know, near death experiences bring people closer" she giggled nervously

Spyro chuckled hoarsely " That's right! I shouldn't have disturbed you, it's fun after all!" he exclaimed maniacally

" Dude you are creeping me out" Sparx said with a glimmer of fear in his voice

Cynder jerked back, she was completely caught off guard by his reaction, it looked like he didn't believe or trust her and that made her angry " What has gotten into you?!" she blurt out furiously " Do you…" her voice trailed off as some kind of enlightenment struck her, his reaction reminded her of someone…of herself. She used to feel such anger when she saw that cheetah with blue eyes all over him.

Cynder's eyes shot wide open. She could tell when he was lying and this time he wasn't, his voice reeked of uncertainty perhaps, whatever it was she didn't care. A spark of hope lightened her heart, maybe he feels the same way, maybe… she leaned closer " Spyro is there something you want to tell me?" she whispered in a soft enthralling tone

Realization struck Spyro after her words, it was just like his senses returned to him, he felt like did something terrible, something he should never have done. Spyro looked around in panic, everyone's eyes were focused on him, Sparx was staring at him, the nearby inhabitants were staring at him and what's more important Cynder was staring at him also. A glimpse of her emerald eyes was enough to make his confidence vanish.

His cheeks took on an intense red color " I…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, it's just…that our fight lately. I… I'm sorry I shouldn't yell at you" he muttered finally

Cynder sighed in defeat " Is that everything you wanted to tell me?" she whispered sadly, however she wasn't completely depressed, he showed her once again just how much he cares about her, even if as a friend. Only as a friend.

" Ye…yeah" Spyro stammered " I keep forgetting that you can take care of yourself"

"No, you were right, maybe I won't be able to handle it myself but if I need help I'll tell you about it, for now just don't get involved ok?"

Spyro stared at her for a while and sighed "Ok" he answered reluctantly

Cynder sighed " I know that I made a mess, we both know that despite what you say, even now sometimes I do things which…" she thought about Capro and his outburst after her words, how could she say such a thing? It was very likely that he lost someone dear to him during her reign and she only rubbed salt into the wound.

"… which I regret later" she finished with a voice full of guilt " I have to redeem myself, please understand this"

Sparx twisted his face in disgust " I'm going to throw up" he muttered

Spyro sighed once more " I understand"

Cynder smiled " You know what will make you feel better? Call me an idiot "

He furrowed a brow " What?"

" I should never call you an idiot since you aren't one. Make it even, don't be shy"

"No"

" Just say: _Cynder you are an idiot_"

"No"

"Just do it!" she exclaimed

" I won't" he shouted back

" I deserve it, come on!"

"No!"

" Cynder you are an idiot!" Sparx yelled loudly and looked at his brother " Was it so hard?!" he exclaimed angrily and placed his hand on his head soon after " And they call me annoying"

Both dragons looked at the dragonfly with shocked eyes just to look at each other moments later, after a while of quiet staring they both began to laugh.

* * *

They've spent some time walking around the city, always accompanied by the sounds of grateful voices whenever Spyro offered a helping paw, sounds of the many taunts as Cynder walked the streets, or Sparx' own voice when he boasted about his accomplishments. It all lasted until they arrived in the City Hall from there they were directed towards the Guardian's Quarters to finally arrive in the library, Volteer's second home.

The library itself was quite small for draconic standards but for a medium sized creatures it still was quite a sight. Chandeliers hung on the dome like ceiling which was covered with dark planks, a big red carpet with different colored patterns laid on the floor. Rows of bookshelves littered the room, the books they were holding were are colorful and sorted in categories, to prevent anyone from misplacing them. On the far side of library a single fireplace could be seen which wasn't used for quite some time, a huge window was inserted into the wall behind it. Near the fireplace stood a single simple desk which was filled with piles of books, they laid one on the top of another creating such big columns that they almost reached the ceiling, they obscured anyone who would sit behind the desk. The group didn't have to see the librarian's face to know that behind all those books seats Volteer, a shuffling on the ground amber tail betrayed him.

" Hi Volteer, you wanted to see us?" Spyro asked as soon as they've stopped near the desk.

The old dragon sprung on his paws instantly just like he had springs in his legs " Spyro, Cynder and Sparx" he started excitedly with his typical high paced speech " You won't conceive how elated I am to see you, so many innumerable engrossing things have transpired!"

Cynder rolled her eyes " Yeah we have heard about the mole"

" Brill is just a sole piece from the whole puzzle, an existing verification of my thesis" he bounced around the room in excitement

Sparx hovered between both young dragons " Tell me again why have you brought me here? He whispered with a tired voice

" Do you recall when I've spoken of the progress? It appears that my deduction was equitable!. Look" Volteer grabbed some books from the desk and presented them to the group " I've researched all of them!" _Space-time flexure, Magic- a two sided coin, _Every prophecy embroiling purple dragons, _Explaining the Unexplained, Where your eyes fail your mind triumphs, Purple dragons- Masters of elements,_"

Volteer dropped the books at their paws " That's not everything!" the Guardian dashed for another set of books

" No Volteer!" Spyro shouted with a smile stopping the amber dragon in his tracks " We believe you…"

"We do?" Sparx interjected

" Tell us what's going on" Spyro continued

"Excellent!" Volteer replied happily " Several of these tomes enunciate about indubitable facts, others are based solely on presumptions while some others are unadulterated fiction. All these books allowed me to unravel this glamorous enigma"

Cynder cocked her head "Mystery? What kind of mystery"

" The enigma you and Spyro shaped!"

Sparx cleared his throat

Volteer shot the dragonfly a quick apologetic glance " And Sparx of course" he added

Cynder narrowed her eyes on the dragonfly " You don't even know what he is talking about" she whispered wryly.

Sparx shrugged " Yeah, so? If people say only your names I know that they are making a huge mistake when they don't add mine to the list"

She grinned " Keep telling yourself that"

" How could we create an enigma? We were fighting with Malefor, everybody knew that" Spyro said confused

Volteer smiled " Spyro you are mistaken, your accomplishment is commendable but what transpired after the quarrel is much more captivating, the puissance unleashed on that day might cause irremediable alterations on our world"

Spyro nodded " It already happened, the earth was melded together

" Magic's potency is unfathomable, it allows the world to thrive in its own unprecedented way, however its very simple to shake the whole foundation, for example dispensing stupendous amounts of energy may spawn such outcome"

"Let's say I've managed to make a hole in that foundation, what happens?"

" I don't know!" Volteer roared happily " I have my suspicions indubitably but I have to be certain. That is the nature of science, you need to endorse your own ideas"

" Come on Volteer tell us!" Spyro urged the Guardian, curiosity gnawed at him intensely

" Such impetuosity!" the amber dragon exclaimed in awe " I guarantee I elucidate everything but to do that I need your assistance"

" Of course we will help! Tell us what to do"

" Join me on my travel"

Spyro nodded unhesitatingly " Gladly"

"When we are leaving?" Cynder asked curiously

Volteer grinned, he had difficulties in hiding his excitement " Now"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Volteer had no troubles convincing the other Guardians that the mission is important, he must have been quite persuasive since making Terrador and Cyril change their minds is no small feat, that or they could no longer stand the constant wagging of his electric tongue and sent him off to have a short break. Whatever the case may be Volteer has reached his goal, he could go whenever he wants to and what's more important he can travel with whoever he wants to.

They've left the City Hall and immediately took to the air, the grass shifted from the powerful gusts of wind their flapping wings created as they rose to the sky. The Electric Guardian led them south, past the thick walls of the Dragon City, their home, whenever both young dragons looked down they could see some cheetahs, moles or even dragons waving, a simple but a really friendly gesture.

" Volteer will you finally tell us what this is all about?" Spyro blurt out impatiently " This curiosity is killing me"

The Electric Guardian smiled " As you wish"

" Nap time!" Sparx exclaimed while snapping his fingers before he made himself comfortable on Spyro's head, between his horns and a pair of fins

" My thesis was aroused by your…it's exacting for me to concede…" he sighed " by your unforeseen arrival in Warfang, we all thought you had perished"

"Yeah, we have seen the statue" Cynder said glumly

Volteer nodded sadly " That was an arduous stage" after this words his expression changed to that of excitement " But you have returned! And in the most unprecedented circumstances, you arrived in Warfang after two strenuous weeks, even if you esteemed that only a single day has passed. Peculiar isn't it?"

" I don't know Volteer…" Spyro started with a dubious voice " There is a really powerful updraft there, or at least was, maybe it somehow shot us straight into the Valley of Avalar"

The Electric Guardian shook his head confidently " Impossible"

" You of all dragons should know that magic is unpredictable, maybe the draft acted in a way nobody thought was possible?"

" Your theory is correct Spyro, magic is fluctuating, however magic also adheres to specific assumptions which repudiate some possibilities"

" Then how about this… " Cynder interjected thoughtfully while scratching her choker " …maybe we got out, normally, nothing special, just found a way in the ceiling or something and we just don't remember it"

Volteer once again shook his head " The whole lair began to topple, your odds for survival were slim"

" You can say with absolute certainty that there wasn't even a teeny-tiny chance that we were just lucky?" she narrowed her eyes on the Electric Guardian

" Such outcome is feasible, however-"

" Problem solved!" Cynder exclaimed cutting the amber dragon off

There was a moment of brief silence before Volteer's voice could be heard once again " One thing lamentably piqued my meddlesomeness, you frequently used the word _maybe_. How can you not recall what occurred?"

Spyro looked confused " We don't remember anything after the blast, we just popped in the Valley, just like that"

" And you have never queried your inexplicable appearance?"

" We did" Cynder retorted calmly " but Meadow already explained magic's nature to us, and we just seem to be afflicted by some side effects, that's all"

"Preposterous!" The Guardian blurt indignantly

She furrowed a brow "Huh?"

Volteer put on a guilty expression " Forgive my outburst but what just divulged is incontestably a nonsense"

"Magic has no side effects?"

" It has, however its practically unimaginable that a dragon is susceptible to magic's pernicious essence. I've never read in any tome, or heard about a dragon who was sensitive to magic's aftereffects. We are uncanny creatures, the source of our creation cannot maim us"

Cynder turned her head to hide her scared expression " It can't?" she muttered

" If we are immune then how come we can't remember how we got out from the lair?" What happened?" Spyro asked with a troubled voice

Volteer looked at the purple dragon with curious eyes " What's aggravating you?"

" Something really weird happened when I've went to a forest some days ago. Out of nowhere an army of apes attacked me, they appeared so fast that I couldn't believe my own eyes. I fought them and after I've killed their leader something powerful hurled me into a tree. When I've recovered they were all gone, every single ape, corpse and drop of blood! Everything!" he exclaimed the last words nervously

The Amber Dragon watched him with a thoughtful expression " Where did that occur?"

" Close to the mountain, the one with the huge tree the cheetah's call The Fortune"

" Most intriguing" Votleer muttered in awe " If my theory is appropriate then it means… Spyro when you ventured into the woods have you done something unprecedented?"

" I don't understand" Spyro answered confused

" I inquire if you did something exceptional? Something you haven't rehearsed for a long time"

Cynder stooped her flight , straightened up and hovered in the air " That's it!" she blurt out in a commanding voice " I'm not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on"

Volteer stopped in front of her " Utmost aversion fills me whenever I have to convey an information which doesn't hinge on any indication if I'm correct, but if you really want to know then listen." He focused on the purple dragon who was flying in circles around them with a shape of a snoring dragonfly on his head " How are you feeling Spyro?" he asked mysteriously

Spyro chuckled " Don't worry Volteer I'm fine, just flying in circles so Sparx won't fall"

" You misinterpreted my words, are you feeling… condensed?"

" Yeah I feel fine, everything is on its right place" he said slowly, confused " Volteer what are you trying to tell me?"

" You lack one thing, recrudesce back my boy, to the Night of Eternal Darkness and your valiant attempt to save everyone. What has transpired after you have been extricated from the crystal? What was altered?"

" Besides that he took away my freedom?" Cynder interjected with a cheerful sarcastic tone " Nothing special"

Spyro kept flying with a thoughtful frown on his snout " Well, Cynder was chained with me, the whole place was coming down on us, a strange golem attacked us, I've still knew how to fight after all those years, I still had all of my elemental…" his eyes went wide open " Time!" he exclaimed loudly, " I could no longer use my Dragon Time ability!"

Volteer nodded " Precisely"

" But what has that to do with anything?" Cynder asked dumbfounded " He hasn't been using that skill for months, why bring it out now? We managed to get by without it"

" Spyro's competency for hindering the flow of time didn't fade but was dormant. The Time crystal had to immeasurably debilitate his elemental essence. However when you aggregated all of your elemental potency to unchain the world, you also used Time. It obliged you to mend the earth together, such action created repercussions, a void was created in our world's barrier and that led to the inception of Veils"

Spyro jerked back in surprise " Veils? Like some kind of portals?"

Volteer nodded again " Through one of them Brill intruded into our time"

" Yes!" he exclaimed " That would explain everything. The sudden appearance of the apes, the storm we never saw coming. You may be right Volteer! That means I'm not crazy, I just had to stumble upon one of this portals!"

" Good thing that you are alright" Cynder said with a bit of happiness and fear in her voice

" Yes!" the Guardian exclaimed excitedly " My assumptions are presumably equitable. However we have to be sure"

" How do you propose we do that?" Spyro asked impatiently

The Amber Dragon frowned " I've concocted a appropriate strategy, however it might not be enough, in the light of new information the plan needs to be altered. I was considerably presumptuous to think that there will be a single or two Veils, but now we know that isn't the case. Now if we only knew how to determine their substantial positions…" his voice trailed off thoughtfully

There was a moment of silence as every dragon and dragoness was thinking to find a solution to their problem. After a while of quietness Spyro's eyes shot wide open " I've got it!" he exclaimed excitedly, gaining the attention of his friends instantly " Whenever something strange happened I've felt this familiar tingle, an itch I couldn't put my claw on. Now I know that it was Time, so maybe this sensations are a means to locate those portals?"

Cynder scratched her choker " You know, when I think of it I've also felt something when the storm caught us. It was that awkward tingle just like a ghost would go straight through me. I can bet my scales that somehow we went accidently through one of these portals"

Volteer expression spoke volumes, he was in utter bliss " Astounding disclosure!" It resolves the two week gap phenomenon" he looked at the purple drake " Spyro, do you sense any veils nearby?"

Spyro concentrated a bit and sighed soon after " Nope, but I don't know how I even managed to feel the previous ones, it just happened"

" I infer that it was only a flicker of your Time endowment, That's valuable information, it means that your potential isn't absent, it is only dormant, and we have to rouse it"

" The only way I can think of to bring my powers back is to speak with The Chronicler, but he seems to be gone" Spyro huffed with a sad and defeated voice " Even if he was still out there I don't know how to contact him. Our only hope is to wait for him to summon me but he didn't call me for months"

The Chronicler is an ancient, grayish-light blue dragon. He is thousands of years old and contains immeasurable wisdom and knowledge, he is also the dragon chosen to watch over the Books of Time, which have recorded almost every part of history and every dragon has a book dedicated to their lives. The Chronicler began contacting Spyro after Cynder left the Dragon Temple, where the purple dragon brought her after he defeated her corrupted mature form.

The Ancient Dragon summons always made Spyro enter his Dreamworld forcefully which meant that he lost consciousness in the real word which wasn't the most pleasant way to fall asleep to say the least. Spyro was much younger than now when he defeated the corrupted Cynder and he managed to succeed by using all of his elemental energy for that single battle, which left him completely drained afterwards. It was then when The Chronicler started his summons.

The Ancient Dragon led Spyro through his eerie Dreamworld which prepared him for the upcoming days than served as an escape from real life problems. During those tests Spyro's elemental attacks were slowly restored, but The Chronicler not only summoned him for training he also presented him glimpses of the future- namely The Night of Eternal Darkness in other words Malefor's return to the Dragon Realms.

Spyro was convinced that this whole practicing and talks were preparing him for the upcoming battle, he couldn't shake off the shock when he learnt that The Chronicler planned to hide him in the safety of his home. There was a moment when he considered that option, after all that wasn't an ordinary foe he was about to face but The Dark Master himself and Spyro felt that he couldn't do it. However it all changed when he learnt that Cynder won't be able to resist Malefor and will succumb to his corruption once more, Spyro had no second thoughts after that vision, he would save her no matter what.

" Don't fret my boy" Volteer calmed the purple dragon with his typical excited fast speech " From your tale about The Chronicler we could deduce that to retrieve your talents you had to consociate with the aspect of your existence. You are a dragon the essence of your creation cannot be consigned to oblivion nor disinherited, all that is required is to uncover the correct trail. This is an impeccable opportunity to ameliorate my strategy. As dragons we draw our clout from Spirit Gems"

" As far as I know there aren't any gems which restore Time energy" Cynder interjected bluntly

" Your deduction is correct Cynder, however I've determined how we can recreate The Chronicler's concept to restore Spyro's potential. To do that we require gems, not the traditional ones but the unadulterated crystals"

" Where can we find them?" Spyro blurt out, not even trying to hide his curiosity

Volteer smiled " There is only one place where they thrive. Follow me"

That's what they did, both young dragons accompanied The Electric Guardian unhesitatingly, wondering what is the inquisitive drake up to as they followed his swaying amber tail. After flying directly south from Warfang, past some rivers, trees and hills the ground below them started to become scorched, dark and mostly dead, ash filled their mouths and noses. It was a familiar territory for the group, it was a lovely and calm place once, but now the high scary looking volcano and the crumbled structure on top of it reminded them of a completely different time.

Years ago The Dragon Temple was a structure within the Swamp where the dragon elders trained and took care of young dragons, it was located close to Spyro's home. Inside there was a room, called the Grotto, where there was a pool of water known as the Pool of Visions, in which certain dragons, could see visions: the dreams, thoughts, and memories of others and to see what is happening in places far away.

After the war between the Dark Master's forces and the dragons, the Dragon Temple was overtaken by Cynder's Ape forces, but was reclaimed when Spyro eventually drove them out, accompanied by Ignitus and Sparx. It served as a shelter and home to the Guardians, and eventually Spyro and Sparx. The temple took its share of battle, after Cynder left its walls the Dragon Temple was soon attacked and during that surprised attack it was damaged.

However the most tragic moment happened when Spyro, Cynder and Sparx were trapped in the Time Crystal, it was then when Malefor roamed free, it was then when the Guardians lost their hold on the Dragon Temple while fending against The Dark Master, Malefor then raised the temple above the volcano as a symbol of his dominance. It was later destroyed when the Destroyer broke the world apart in a torrent of fire during the final battle between Spyro, Cynder and Malefor, devastating part of the Swamps in the process.

Sparx shifted on Spyro's head " Can you hear it? he mumbled.

There was a moment of silence as the three dragons began to listen intently

"I don't hear anything" Spyro whispered after a while

"Exactly!" the dragonfly patted his brother's head " I can't stand this silence, why did you stop talking?" a broad smile appeared on his face " I had such a great dream" he huffed

" The one where people actually start noticing you?" Cynder smirked

He looked her over " The one where you weren't tagging along with us" he retorted fiercely before he looked at the sky " Such a great dream" he sighed yearningly.

She smiled and opened her mouth to counter the dragonfly with another sarcastic and snide remark but was interrupted by Spyro's tired voice

" Will you two finally stop and start liking each other?"

" Hey, hey, hey!" Sparx replied quickly and rolled from Spyro's head just to hover in front of his eyes " I like her" he looked at the flying black dragoness " Especially when she isn't around"

" I like him too!" Cynder exclaimed happily and looked at the dragonfly soon after " Especially when he is sleeping or isn't talking"

Spyro chuckled and rolled his eyes

" Quiet now" Volteer's cautious voice calmed the rest of the group immediately "We are not alone" he pointed his claw at the ground. A pair of orcs guarded the entrance to the now ruined Dragon Temple.

"Orcs?" Cynder said with a clearly surprised voice " What is The Dark Army doing here?"

" Perhaps they scrutinize the temple for some indication left by The Dark Master showing them what to pursue now, they may feel disoriented after their Master's demise"

" Let's not go there, let's not go there" Sparx started to mutter pleadingly under his breath

" It is essential that we get inside"

" Yes!" he exclaimed quietly " Another life threatening adventure! You have no idea how I've missed those!" Sparx kept shouting with fake excitement

" Such elation is commendable" Volteer replied sarcastically

" We don't know how many orcs are there, barging through the front doors isn't a very good idea" Spyro thought loudly

" I agree, covertness is indispensable"

" This place is a mess" Cynder joined the planning dragons with a serious tone " There has to be a better entry somewhere"

" Stealth isn't really our thing" Spyro retorted thoughtfully

" I know, but we could lure the guards away and lessen their numbers without them knowing, to do that we need someone really unobtrusive"

An awkward silence befallen on the group, it once again bothered Sparx so he was forced to stop observing the temple below and raise his head. The moment he did that he saw three pairs of colorful eyes staring at him

" What?" he blurt out cluelessly

* * *

The once solid rock structure now laid in ruins, stones were scattered everywhere, the ceiling collapsed a long time ago, the doors and walls were cracked or destroyed completely, now nothing remained of the glorious Dragon Temple, however according to Volteer there was still a piece of Malefor's Lair still standing within the volcano where the powerful updraft held some of its remains together.

The temple looked dead, however that didn't prevent The Dark Army from guarding its many entryways, there was at least a pair of guards observing the surroundings at each opening. Nevertheless the small group of friends had to find an entrance to the tunnels which led down towards the Lair and the only way to do that is to get past the guards, preferably unnoticed.

A small ball of leafs hovered above the dark ashy terrain, in front of it there was a small hill where once large door were inserted which welcomed visitors to the famous training grounds for young drakes. Now there was a pair of apes standing under the rocky ceiling watching the world in front of them.

" Why did I agree to do this?" Sparx whined under his breath as he took a peek from his leafy cover. With a sigh he rose a bit higher above the ground and rustled the leafs that covered him. As he did that a light shone through his weak armor that came from the glow dragonflies emanate. It flickered for a brief moment just to vanish moments later as Sparx covered himself once again and lowered himself towards the ashy ground.

That quick flash was enough for the guards, they became suspicious instantly, they both tightly gripped their weapons and cautiously began moving towards the exit, carefulness and perhaps curiosity drove them to investigate that strange shimmer. The apes were leaving the safety of the rocky ceiling and could feel the open sky slowly stretching above them. The guards didn't have the time to admire the scenery nor to investigate the peculiar occurrence since the moment they stepped from their cover a purple and black tail wrapped themselves around their necks and pulled them up.

Sparx rose again creating a window for himself in his leafy cover, the first thing he saw was a pair of apes hovering above the ground, they both were thrashing relentlessly while they kept grunting and trying to pull off the deadly lock from around their necks. Sparx slowly approached the entrance and as he did so he saw as both young dragons eventually strangled the struggling soldiers and pulled their still bodies upwards, eventually the apes vanished from his sight.

" I'll never get used to this" he shuddered

As the dragonfly was about to enter the now free opening a purple snout emerged from above " Psst!" Spyro hissed gaining the attention of the floating leafy ball instantly " You are doing great, keep it up" he whispered encouragingly

" Bro you sure this is a good idea?" Sparx asked dubiously " We should be happily fooling around now, far away from the bad guys, don't you think?"

" Stop whining" Cynder admonished him the moment her black snout showed up just next to Spyro's

" Why do you always have to look for trouble? Let's just go" Sparx complained

" Sparx stick to the plan, we have to get in there" Spyro urged his brother calmly

The dragonfly sighed loudly and shook his head before venturing into the temple

The upper level of the temple was completely destroyed, but the lower one wasn't that far behind, practically nothing remained of the once solid walls which protected the building from the jagged rocks of the volcano's surface. Now stones filled the crumbling hallways, the natural light emanating from the volcano itself was illuminating the corridors. Every now and then a tattered banner could be seen hanging on the wall, it was hard to say what they represented, it was impossible to decipher the leftovers.

There were many corridors here once, now most of them was crumbled or blocked by huge boulders, even the ceiling was barely intact, it wouldn't surprise anyone if a cave-in would happen, removing a single rock would most likely do the trick. Pieces of huge doors laid everywhere, even remnants of some sandstone statues were visible here and there. Cobwebs filled the entire structure, spiders scuttled through the many holes, checking every trap they set up for the unfortunate insects. Only a handful of passages was still intact and all of the led deeper into the volcano towards the lair of the deceased Dark Master, with every step down the air got warmer and the occasional howling of wind intensified.

" Of course we need to get there" Sparx muttered under his breath as he flew down the corridor " We always have to look for trouble and we always end up surrounded by bad guys." He whined to himself " And why? Because it's much more funnier to get killed than sit in a safe city without any worries"

" And you, you idiot" he slammed his forehead " You always have to follow, you always have to keep an eye on him and look what's happening? You could be now sleeping in a warm bed, eating everything you want, but no, you had to…" Sparx shut his mouth in a blink of an eye the moment he heard some incoherent grunts coming from ahead of him.

A pair of shadows appeared on the illuminated jagged wall, more importantly they were growing with each passing second, also the sound of the incoherent grunts was getting louder. Sparx looked around in panic, after all a floating ball of leafs in a volcano's tunnel is not much of a cover. He pressed himself against the wall and began flying alongside its surface looking for a place to hide.

Destruction has its advantages, it offers small creatures like him plenty of places to lay low. After a short while Sparx found one of these places, it was a dark hole in the wall, he fit into it perfectly just like it would be designed for dragonflies only. He waited, time seemed to slow down as he observed the growing shadows, his heart started to beat to the rhythm of the armored boots crunching the scattered tiny rocks.

Sparx held his breath when the shadows completely covered the wall on the opposite side of the passageway, soon a pair of armored orcs walked past by his hiding place while talking with each other. Sparx didn't care what it was about, he just wanted them to go away. His wish came true, the orcs soon disappeared farther into the hallway, he just hoped they won't go too far, after all two of their colleagues are no longer present. However something tells him that he has to hurry.

Sparx had no problems with leaving his hiding place, before he continued onwards Sparx looked behind his shoulder, the shadows practically vanished, he sighed in relief, they won't bother him, at least for a while. He flew closer to the walls this time, just in case another patrol would pop up unexpectedly, there was a complete silence when he made his way through the corridor until he arrived at what seemed to be an intersection.

It was hotter and louder here, this is where all the paths from the other entryways meet which means that he is close to his destination. Sparx had to stop when he approached the intersection, the sound of chatter was extremely high, it only meant one thing- there are far more guards there.

Once again Sparx hid and waited for the orcs to go away, it took some time but eventually they scattered creating a bit of free space. Sparx quickly left his hiding place and dashed towards the single path which led to the lair. He arrived at a wide opening, it looked like there were doors here once but The Destroyer made a short work of them. An eerie glow was coming from that passageway, not to mention the pretty strong gusts of wind that occasionally hit him.

Sparx continued forward, but stopped soon after just when he was about to enter the next room, he began observing his surroundings, one thing was sure though- this are the remains of Malefor's Lair. The room itself was quite wide and high, it was able to house a fully grown dragon. The walls of the lair were mostly crumbled, stones laid everywhere, the ceiling was in no better shape, long cracks ran across its surface, not to mention the many holes in its structure which undoubtedly weakened the construction. Instead of a normal solid floor, first thing he saw was a marble bridge, it was small but still a bridge, it was connected with a huge circular plate which served as a floor.

The plate didn't fill the entire room however, there was an empty space left near the wall which allowed the natural updraft coming from the volcano to pass freely. In the middle of the plate there were plenty of gem clusters, all of them glowed with a bright blue light. All of that was unimportant for Sparx, something entirely different got his attention. Orcs filled the room, The Dark Army was here and in quite big numbers and that wasn't everything, who knows how many of them lurks in the passageways. There was a single creature who stood out from all the rest, Sparx swallowed hard at the sight of it.

It was a troll, one of the strongest enemies in Malefor's former army. Trolls are extremely high and strong, they look like they've been formed from the earth itself. Its body is rough, covered with a green hue, a root- like layers connect the limbs to its body. The irregular form of its flesh really resembled the structure of a torn from the ground bush, with all its roots and the like hanging wildly in the air. Trolls walk just like gorillas, its legs are powerful but small, they end with a hunk-like feet. The troll's arms however are a completely different matter, it has wide and extremely powerfully built shoulders which hold an even bigger arm, it is no ordinary arm however, it looks like an extremely sturdy and huge hunk of a tree, really thick and solid. Even if a troll has a bulky build it isn't slow, it charges it's enemies with ease and if its opponents are far away the troll can leap great distance to catch its prey. The red eyes which are located on the troll's snout add to the malevolence of the creature.

"Ok" Sparx gulped " Let's do it, it's not like something wrong will happ-" He was cut off by a terrible roar coming from behind him, the noise echoed throughout the whole corridor. Soon some others roars followed, an alarm has been raised.

The Grublins which were busy with the gems forgot about them as every single one of them looked alarmed at the entrance from which the sound has come. They didn't see him, but unfortunately Sparx flew cautiously a bit forward when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor. His timing couldn't be worse, the moment he left the corridor another updraft blew from the bottom of the lair, the gust of wind was so strong that it lifted him upwards, he spun around in the air as he fought to regain his balance. When he finally achieved his goal he sighed in relief, however when he looked at the orcs below he knew something was wrong, they were all staring at him with murderous eyes.

He impulsively started to touch his body, something was wrong, something was amiss " Uh-oh" he muttered with a wavering voice. Sparx looked around, his fears were confirmed when he noticed some leafs falling down to the ground in their swaying movements.

He chuckled nervously " Funny thing" he scratched the back of his head edgily " I wanted to surprise you, you know, nothing wrong with that right? Let's all act like civilized creatures and forget about all of this ok? I didn't see you, you didn't see me, I tell you that's a really funny game" Sparx chuckled once more, however not everyone shared his mood, as he looked once again at the staring group of grublins he swallowed hard once again " Peace" he extended his arm and rose two of his fingers in the most known gesture that accompanied this word.

He winced when a deafening roar filled the cavern, obviously they don't know what _peace_ means. Sparx dashed towards the ceiling and quickly began touching the stone to find a good place for the blue gem he was carrying with himself all this time behind his leafy cover.

" It better work" Sparx said hopefully as he inserted the gem in one of the bigger holes in the ceiling, soon after he removed a loose stone just next to the gem. " Guys! A little help here!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he pressed his face to the empty space he just created.

Sparx looked down and gasped, he was thankful that as a dragonfly he is quite agile, he dodged the incoming magic projectile just in time. There was a flash of blue light, he impulsively looked up and noticed that the gem was gone. His eyes went wide open as realization struck him, with all the strength he had in himself Sparx started to fly as far away from the ceiling as possible, avoiding as best as he could the incoming magic missiles.

Soon after there was a deafening thud, the place where the gem was just exploded, dust filled the cavern and rocks started to fly in every direction, also the whole ceiling began to shake violently, the unstable structure was about to give up. Moments later the reason for this destruction appeared, from the dust emerged a spiked boulder which was spinning wildly while it headed directly at the grublins below. Two dragons entered the cavern from the hole the earth ball created, momentarily the cavern was filled with electric and poison breaths as the pair of dragons descended at their enemies.

" Watch out for the troll!" Sparx screamed the moment his friends entered the scene

The grublins were caught off guard, they didn't even budge when the boulder landed directly at them squashing some of the orcs at the impact, even those who were lucky enough to avoid the incoming ball weren't that much happy, the shockwave the boulder created when it hit the ground tossed some of the soldiers down the chasm. The troll only swayed on its legs, the moment it recovered its balance the creature roared angrily and furiously slammed the boulder with one of its tremendously huge arms when the spiked ball bounced from the ground.

The boulder was sent flying with a tremendous speed towards one of the walls, the moment it hit it, the surface of the ball began to shake and dissolve, momentarily the earth ball transformed into the shape of a purple dragon. The impact left Spyro dizzy, when his body finally detached itself from the wall, he fell numbly down the chasm.

Moments later Volteer descended onto the ground, the moment he landed a powerful electrical arc was sent along the whole floor, some of the more experienced orcs managed to deflect the spell a bit, the elemental attack only stunned them, however among them were also those who weren't that capable fighters, those orcs were fried instantly.

The troll flung its huge arms upwards and roared painfully when the arc reached it, the agony only infuriated the beast. The troll powerfully slammed its arms on the ground, sending a mighty shockwave through the whole floor, it sent the adjacent orcs flying in every direction, it even forced the amber dragon to totter, however it was enough to distract the drake. The moment the current stopped flowing through the troll's body it roared once again and leapt in the direction of the swaying Electrical Guardian. It swung one of its powerful arms at the mighty dragon which Volteer somehow managed to deflect with his wing, however the blow was so strong that he spun around at the impact.

The moment his eyes focused on the troll he saw another huge arm approaching him, but this time he had no chance to block it. The beast hit the dragon directly in the cheek the force that was put into the blow dropped the Guardian to the ground while a stream of blood gushed from the drake's mouth. Volteer shook his head, regaining his focus instantly, adrenaline pumped through the old dragon's veins when he noticed as the troll was making another swing. He quickly rose on his hind legs just to extend his forelegs towards the incoming arm, he was glad that dragons put on some weight when they mature, he was strong enough to stop the arm in midway. The troll didn't expect such a move, it roared angrily and lowered its head, it's hard to tell if the troll actually planned this or it reacted just by sheer instinct, whatever the case may be it worked.

The creature hit the dragon directly into the stomach with its head, the strike kicked the breath out of Volteer, however he didn't lose his grip. The troll didn't waste time and took advantage of the opportunity, he slid one of its powerful arms between Volteer's hind paws, just to raise it moments later. The quick and strong swing lifted the dragon to the air, the troll moved its arm upwards, meaning that it tossed the amber dragon behind it. Volteer groaned when he landed on his back, just right behind the creature.

Cynder had her own share of problems, archers began emerging from the entrances, what worried her most was that they had already their bows prepared to release the arrows. The arrows were set loose with an audible whizz, the ones which were flying from the front she easily blown off using her wind element. It was a different matter with the ones she couldn't see, relying on her natural instincts and agility she began a dance of her own in the air. The graceful moves of her body allowed her to avoid most of the deadly splinters, however it was impossible to dodge all of them. Some of the arrows whizzed past by her carrying drops of her draconic blood with them. Cynder clenched her teeth and hissed when the arrows left bloody cuts on her body, some even managed to get stuck In her black scales. Soon the arrows stopped flying, announcing that it was her time to strike.

Cynder stopped and hovered in the air just to curl into a ball, as she did so she focused on her elemental attacks. Namely she charged her Phantom Fright power, the addictive dark energy pulsed once again in her veins. The moment she straightened Cynder unleashed her power, a couple of ghastly orbs appeared next to her, without wasting any more time she sent each orb towards a group of archers. When the orbs reached their destinations they've exploded with a concussive force, some of the archers were tossed down the chasm or the corridors while the rest was completely paralyzed. Cynder released her Shadow Fire ability at the couple archer groups while she dived towards the last one, with the paralyze still in effect the orcs suffocated in complete silence. With nothing else disturbing her, she finished the last group of archers easily.

Another updraft has blown from the chasm and as it did so Spyro was blown upwards, he had already his wings spread wide open, he was in full of control of the treacherous wind. The same thing couldn't be said for creatures who prefer walking than flying. The orcs who were throw down the chasm not so long ago managed to survive the fall, however they aren't dragons, the grublins only screamed as the wind was rising them upwards with tremendous speed. Their uncontrollable spinning and terrified screams soon ended, they were hurled into the remains of the ceiling with such a force that loud snaps echoed throughout the cavern when every possible bone shattered.

With no archers trying to shoot him down Spyro controlled the sky, he felt as the power of the single blue gem was still pulsing within his blood, he knew exactly how to discharge that energy. Focusing his electrical element he directed an electrical pulse at the troll which was towering above the laying amber dragon. The creature groaned when the shock hit him, it was electrocuted instantly, the elemental attack was strong enough to stun and injure the beast quite seriously. Spyro would continue his advance if not for a huge rock falling from the ceiling, it headed straight at him so he had to abandon his attack and avoid the deadly boulder. Spyro managed to do that easily, however that was not the end of his problems, the moment the rock hovered in front of his eyes it exploded, he couldn't see what destroyed the boulder but the trail of magical energy that hung in the air told him that it was no accident.

Spyro was caught unaware, the chunk of rocks cut his snout, chest, paws and what's more importantly his wings, nothing drastic but the pain and the force after the explosion shot him down.

He rolled on the plate-like floor, after all it takes a while to dispose all that speed. His concentration didn't fade the moment he stopped rolling, lucky for him since the moment he opened his eyes he saw a magical attack heading his way. It threw everything in the air as it ran through the ground, ripping the floor as it approached just like something would swim below the ground and tear the floor with one of its fins. Spyro fueled his earth element and turned once again into the spiked boulder, he knew that it made him heavier and that it was his only protection against the incoming attack. His boulder-like body only shook when the spell hit him, the strike didn't work as it supposed to.

Spyro pulled himself on all fours and returned to his dragon form, just in time to jump backwards when two spears tried to stab him from the sides, sparks were thrown into the air when the two silvery tips met with each other. The impact has thrown the soldiers of balance, and every fighter takes advantages of opportunities during a battle, Spyro rolled on the ground sideways and as he did so he sank the gold tip on his tail into the orcs chest killing the grublin instantly. As he rolled to the other side to strike the other orc, the soldier already recovered his balance and had his weapon raised above his head just to try to pierce the dragons golden underbelly when he finally stopped just next to him. Spyro grabbed the incoming spear with his paws just a few inches from his belly, the orcs eyes widened when his attack has failed, Spyro seeing his surprise yanked the weapon forcefully tearing it off from the soldiers hands, he had struck the grublin with the wooden end of the weapon directly into his nose. The orc grabbed his nose and tottered backwards as dark blood started to gush from his nose, soon with a furious roar he pounced at the laying purple dragon. Spyro just waited for it, with the sharp end of the spear directed at the orc he run it through the soldier's opened mouth, piercing the back of his skull momentarily.

With the bloody body of the orc slowly sliding down the spear, he cast the weapon aside, after all that was not the end of his problems. Spyro jumped on his paws and the moment he did so he noticed four orcs magicians approaching him, they were prepared for the confrontation, two of them were channeling a magical shield that surrounded the group and protected them from elemental attacks while the two others were waving their weapons threateningly, provoking the purple dragon. Spyro was ready to comply and give them what they wanted but he never got the chance to prepare his attack. Out of nowhere a black shape knocked the orcs down just like a bowling ball, Spyro observed the whole scene with wide eyes.

Volteer recovered from his shock when he heard the troll's painful groan, but before he could strike the stunned creature he had to take care of the soldiers that were attacking him. He rolled onto his belly and as he did so he curled and covered himself with his big wings, the moment he did that he channeled his elemental power. Tiny electrical sparks began to jump on his membranes, however the charging orcs seemed to ignore or just didn't notice it. The grublins surrounded the curled amber dragon, when they were all in position, every single orc soldier roared and swung his weapon at the laying dragon. The moment the spears and swords made contact with Volteer's wings they were instantly thrown away, not to mention that the electrical spark jumped from the weapons onto their owners, there was only a quick flash when the orcs were hurled away just like some kind of rag dolls.

With the attackers gone the Guardian pulled himself up and instantly sank his tail tip which resembled a two-tined spear into the troll's powerful shoulder. He once again channeled his elemental energy but this time he was interrupted when out of nowhere a single magical projectile hit him in the side. It didn't harm him much but it was enough to disrupt his concentration, he decided not to risk it, after all it was only a matter of time before the troll will finally shake off the feeling. Grunting Volteer swung his tail forcefully, he may be old but he still had some draconic strength in him, the troll slammed onto the ground and slid across the plate like floor for a couple of meters.

With the troll out of the way for the time being the Guardian could concentrate on the orcs who prevented him from finishing the mighty beast. There was quite a group approaching him, with one bigger orc than the rest walking amongst it, it has to be their leader. The grublins attacked, elemental projectiles were sent flying while their leader formed a magical barrier around them. With the shield formed around the group and the magical bolts heading his way Volteer had no other option than to take to the sky to avoid the projectiles. He leapt into the air and as he did so the bolts flew below him to eventually end on a nearby wall, he didn't remain in the air for long, he felt as an invisible hand grabbed him preventing him from making any move.

The orc leader moved his raised clenched fist downwards and as he did so the amber dragon was slammed onto the ground, the barrier around the group wavered a bit after that display of magical prowess. Volteer coughed out blood when he hit the ground but no matter how painful the crash was the flicker of the barrier didn't escape his sharp mind. Another wave of projectiles was sent flying towards him, but this time he was prepared for it. Volteer used the Electric Arc ability to freeze the projectiles in midair, however as a master of the Electricity he also knew the improved version of that skill, he focused and released a single pulse towards the arc. The artificial prison exploded in a show of hundred tiny yellow sparks, the magical projectiles were thrown back at their casters.

The shield could not withstand such force, its magical energy was almost depleted, the impact sent the orc leader onto his knees as he desperately held the elemental protection with last ounces of his strength. Volteer's attack surprised the orcs, when they were trying to shake off the shock he once again used the Electric Arc ability to freeze and hurl at them some of the scattered weaponry. Magical shield or not it was unable to protect them from the incoming blades, the weapons sliced and pierced every single orc, including their leader, momentarily all of the grublins dropped to the ground, dead. Volteer had no time to cherish his little victory as a big shadow covered him, he impulsively looked the way it was coming from, and the moment he did that he noticed a huge troll towering above him.

" Take that ugly!" Sparx appeared out of nowhere, and as he began hovering between the troll and the amber dragon he threw a small rock at the evil beast. The stone hit the troll directly into his red eye, with a painful growl the creature stumbled backwards and covered its snout with its huge arms. After a while the troll roared furiously and swung its powerful arms chaotically and the moment it did so a loud painful female groan could be heard.

Cynder removed her claws from the archer's throat and looked down from the slope she was standing on currently, they have never expected to find a troll here and from the looks of it the beast is giving the two dragons quite a beating, no wonder since it's a very powerful creature it would be better for everybody when they would get rid of it as soon as possible. She couldn't prepare the plan for an appropriate attack since she heard quick footsteps behind her, roaring the orc swung his sword trying to strike the black dragoness from behind. Cynder deflected the blow with the blade- like tip on her tail, when the sparks were sent flying into the air she swiftly spun around and slashed with her claws, cutting the orc's abdomen. Dark blood fell on the ground along with a portion of the grublin's insides.

A sword's sharp tip heading her way was the first thing she saw when the body slumped onto the ground, Cynder sidestepped quickly, avoiding the deadly strike. She circled the soldier and rammed into him with her head low, the soldier was sent flying down from the slope in cacophony of terrified screams. Cynder spun around there was quite a group charging her from the tunnel it will be a challenge to maneuver since there isn't much free space here. She ducked and moved sideways, avoiding the strike of a nearby orc who was charging her furiously, that was a reckless move from the grublin since the moment he missed he had to dispose all that speed somehow, he managed to do it but had to fought with his body so he wouldn't fall down the ledge.

Cynder blocked another blow with her wing, making the attacking soldier crash with the nearby wall, just as soon she stunned the closest enemy a huge axe was falling on her vertically, she swiftly jumped backwards otherwise her head would be split in half. The moment the weapon clinked on the stony floor she kicked the orc behind her with her hind paw, sending the reckless soldier down the chasm. She prepared to repel another attack but to her surprise the incoming soldier dropped to the ground, soon she found out why, four arrows emerged from the tunnel ahead. Thanks to her natural agility Cynder managed to avoid two of them but the other two found their mark, they sank deeply into her flesh, only a small portion of the wood and feathers protruded outside.

She screamed painfully, she did that on purpose in fact, there was no chance she would repel such a fierce attack, she had to try a different approach. The orcs fell for her bluff, they roared maliciously as they began their offensive, one of the soldiers swung his sword which she deflected easily, another one attacked with his shield that hit her directly into the snout. Blood shot from her nose after the strike, the orcs smelling a victory sidestepped quickly just to make room for a sharp spear's tip, the weapon found its mark, as it pierced her chest Cynder grabbed the weapon with her paw, tottered backwards and the moment she fell from the ledge she tore the weapon off from the soldier's hands.

All of the orcs leaned over the ledge to check if they killed the female drake and the moment they did that Cynder rose from below and as she did so she thrust the spear into the chin of one of the curious orcs dragging the gurgling body with her as she rose above the ledge. She moved away from the slope a bit, the orcs weren't attacking yet as they were recovering from their shock, that was enough for her. Cynder channeled her elemental energy, momentarily a coat of deadly venom surrounded her, using her Scorpion Strike ability she spun directly into the surprised soldiers. She cut through their ranks while covered in lethal venom, the ones who found themselves on her path didn't even scream as they fleshed melted instantly, the orcs who managed to avoid the spinning dragoness were yelling agonizingly as the venom was hissing on their faces melting the skin and bones away.

Cynder made her way inside the tunnel, and as she arrived there she had to stop or else she would collide with a wall, the dead and the dying orcs surrounded her but she couldn't care less what, mattered to her however was an another wave of attackers coming from the tunnel. There was way too many of them, she won't be able to repel the attack, once more she channeled her elemental energy, this time a soft breeze filled her entire being, with that she released a gust of wind directly into the ceiling. The weak structure couldn't take it, a loud rumbling noise filled the entire tunnel. Cynder seeing what is about to happen quickly dashed towards the exit, she was lucky since she was on the right side, the same thing couldn't be said about the grublins, they only emitted a horrifying screams as the stones started to rain down on them.

Cynder coughed as she emerged from the dust, that was one of the tunnels from which one group of archers arrived, there is a couple more of them like this one all around the cavern. She didn't know if the warrens are connected, as for now there weren't any more grublins on the slopes but Cynder decided not to risk it, better safe than sorry they say. She leapt into the air and using her wind element collapsed every possible tunnel from which enemies could arrive. Landing on the last slope she looked down, she could see as the injured troll was slowly approaching Volteer who was currently occupied with a bunch of orcs. Spyro however was fighting right now with a pair of grublins, she was confident that he can take care of them but that didn't mean that he couldn't use a helping paw with the another group of orcs approaching him.

As Cynder prepared the plan for an attack hissing she pulled out one of the arrows from her body, luckily she removed it intact if any splinter would get stuck inside her they would prevent her regeneration process from kicking in properly. First things first, the troll is a more dangerous enemy, she will distract the beast to allow Volteer to recover, after that she will help Spyro defeat the remnants of the Dark Army. With the plan set in her mind Cynder removed the second arrow and leapt from the slope just to instantly dive towards the troll.

She had to get close to the beast, wounding it is one thing but gaining its attention was a more crucial matter. Cynder furrowed a brow as she descended upon the troll, it suddenly stumbled backwards, the moment she saw a floating glowing shape she realized what happened but it was already too late. With all the strength she had Cynder flapped her wings backwards to dispose herself of the speed, it wasn't enough to avoid the huge arm heading her way.

The world swirled after the troll accidently slammed her, with a groan of pain she was shot towards the ground, before she made contact with the floor she collided with something in the way, the impact with whatever thing that was sent an aching pulse through her entire body but at least the collision slowed her down a bit. Cynder rolled on the ground for a while before finally stopping on her belly, the whole world swirled not to mention that the nauseating vertigo was almost unbearable.

Spyro gasped when he realized that only one dragoness he knows has black colored scales, with a frantic pace of his heart he dashed towards her. As he ran he noticed as the knocked down orcs were slowly standing up, those who weren't badly injured that is. The two magicians who managed to get up on their feet he finished with earth bolts, the one who crawled on the ground just to take hold of his scepter Spyro killed using his claws. With nothing blocking his path he directly ran towards his friend, the fear for her safety only intensified when he saw her lying flat on the ground.

" Cynder!" he yelled with worried voice before he stopped just in front of her " Please be okay" he muttered under his breath as he pulled her up to a sitting position. He gasped when he noticed her snout, blood was streaming down her nose " Cynder how badly are you injured?"

She kept looking around as if looking for the owner of this voice "What is… where… how…" she slurred

Spyro grabbed her head forcing her to look at him " Cynder I'm over here, focus!"

" Bro!" Sparx exclaimed loudly from behind Spyro, the purple dragon only looked at his brother with a corner of his eyes when the dragonfly stopped next to him " You gotta help the Big Guy!"

" I'm not leaving her!" Spyro protested

" Nothing is wrong with her. Look" Sparx positioned himself in front of her snout before placing his hands on both her cheeks " Cynder hey, hey" she kept swaying and turning her head " Hey Cynder hey look at me" Sparx urged her but she was still doing the same thing " Cynder look at me" he yanked her head and the moment her blurry eyes met his Sparx raised two fingers " How many fingers do you see?"

" Ten" she muttered after a while of staring at the dragonflies' hand

" See?" Sparx exclaimed confidently " She's fine, now go get that troll!"

" But-"

" I'll take care of her, go!" Sparx cut Spyro off with a commanding tone.

Reluctantly Spyro pulled himself up and ran off to help the Electric Guardian, the moment he was quite a distance away Sparx shook his head and looked at Cynder " One day he is going to do something stupid because of you"

" What?" she slurred once again

" You are stupid" Sparx retorted bluntly

" Thank you"

He sighed " You're welcome"

Spyro felt horrible to leave her in such a condition but Sparx was right, it was a right thing to do, his friend needs his help. As he ran he saw as Volteer was exchanging blows with the mighty creature, judging from the scars and bruises it was quite a fierce fight. Before Spyro joined the battle he decided to stop near the cluster of blue gems, additional power never hurts, he couldn't miss such an opportunity. Spyro absorbed the gem, it felt differently but he didn't have the time to focus on it now, his friend needs him. Spyro took to the air and as he did so he channeled his electricity element.

He released an electric stream directly at the troll, it roared painfully when it was once again electrocuted. Volteer seeing what is happening released a stream of his own, the combined effort of both dragons was too much for the troll, its heart could no longer withstand the electric pulses running through its body, the vital organ died. The painful roars ceased momentarily, when it happened both dragons stopped their attack to allow the body to fall on the ground with a loud thud. The remnants of The Dark Army were either killed or allowed to flee, the group of friends had won the day.


	18. Chapter 18

**Last chapter of Book I. Thanks guys for your readership**

* * *

Chapter 18

" All these crystals and there is not even one single red gem here!" Cynder exclaimed and kicked furiously one of the stones laying on the floor to somehow let go off the steam " This headache is killing me!"

" Sparx chuckled inwardly " You are more fun when you are drooling and mumbling"

" Shut up Sparx" she snarled " I'm not in the mood"

" What's the big deal?" he shrugged " Anyone can be beaten and humiliated, it doesn't matter that it always happens to you, I mean what can you do right? It's not like that is your fault" he said with a sarcastic tone

She rubbed her forehead " Spyro tell your insufferable brother to stop or I swear I'll gut him"

Sparx extended his arms protectively " Whoa, whoa Cyn relax, I'm just joking. Look I've promised Spyro to take care of you so I will"

Cynder snorted " And what can you possibly know about healing, huh?"

" I've learnt some tricks from my Mom, so what do you say? Wanna give it a shot?"

" No thank you" she retorted bluntly

Sparx shrugged " It's your call, if you don't want to receive at least a bit of relief then be my guest"

She thought about it for a moment, the pain was unbearable, she as well might let him try, it's not like she has anything to lose " Fine, just no sudden moves"

Corner of his mouth turned into a mischievous smile " You are not going to regret this" the grimace vanished the moment he began hovering in front of the black dragoness" Sit and we will begin"

Reluctantly she did as she has been told. He crossed his fingers and with a snap of his knuckles began extending his hand towards Cynder.

She moved her head cautiously backwards " Just what do you think you are doing?"

Sparx frowned irritably " If you keep moving we won't get anywhere, just sit still I need to locate source of the pain" he extended his hands once again but this time touched one side of her head " Does it hurt?"

Cynder winced " Yes" she hissed painfully

Sparx touched the other side of her head " What about here?"

She winced again " Yes"

This time he moved a bit closer towards her forehead " Here?"

"Yes"

Once again his hand ventured a bit closer " And here?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed irritated " Are you going to do something about it finally or not?"

" Don't worry I've got it covered" he assured her, however the little devil on his shoulder couldn't stop laughing " I know from where the pain is coming from, I've located the source, now the most important part, I just need to…" Sparx inhaled deeply " Defeat it!" he exclaimed and slapped her forehead before he quickly darted upwards

Cynder groaned in pain " What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted furiously

" I'm cheating the nervous system! Just ask the Big Guy he will tell you-"

" You are so dead now!" she growled and dashed after the dragonfly

He yelped before starting to fly away as far as possible " Bro help! She's trying to kill me!"

" You started it" Spyro answered absolutely unconcerned, his entire focus was set on the blue gem he was holding in his paw. He eyed it carefully, however he couldn't spot anything special. It was the same size like any other gem, it shone just like any other gem but the moment he absorbed it the crystal washed his body not with refreshing and cooling sensation but with dread and he had no idea why.

" BRO!" Sparx yelled at the top of his lungs while he unexpectedly appeared below him. Spyro gasped and jerked backwards, the gem jumped in his paw. Focus returned to the purple dragon as he quickly tried to catch the gem before it shattered on the ground, the crystal bounced on his paws as he desperately tried to get a good hold of it. After a brief struggle the gem returned once again into Spyro's paw, he sighed in relief after saving the crystal.

Sparx shook his purple foreleg before looking at him pleadingly " You gotta help me, she's crazy!"

Spyro threw him a scoldful glance " You shouldn't have provoked Cynder in the first place"

" Ok my bad, but that doesn't mean-"

He was cut off by Cynder landing just next to Spyro " Got you" she said with a menacing tone

Sparx hugged to Spyro's foreleg " Help!" he squealed

" Volteer's awake yet?" the purple dragon turned around and began walking towards his laying friend, completely not interested in the situation that was brewing around him

" What..." Sparx stammered while he was lifted above ground when Spyro made a step "… are… you…doing?"

Cynder sidestepped every time Spyro moved, she kept walking low on her paws, watching the dragonfly intently just like a lioness hunts her prey

" Sort it out yourselves, I'm staying out of it" Spyro shook his foreleg violently making the dragonfly lose his grasp of it.

" He is right!" Sparx exclaimed quickly just when Cynder was about to pounce at him " We are both adults right? So let's act like adults, we put aside our differences and from now on we keep our heads cool. You in?"

Cynder stopped her advance, she jerked back after hearing his proposition, however she did that on purpose. She knew Sparx well enough and could tell when he is lying just to save his skin. She decided to play along, he will lower his guard sooner or later.

" You are right" she sighed with faked embarrassment

The dragonfly balked " I am?"

" Yeah, just think about it, we fight almost every single time, let's act normally for once"

Sparx furrowed a brow " You mean what? You want a truce or something?"

She nodded " That's exactly what I mean. You in?"

He rested his head in his open palm and patted his chin with his forefinger, thinking " I'm in" he stated after a moment of silent consideration " But I thought that you'll be mad at me after that little joke"

Cynder giggled and waved her paw dismissively " There's nothing to talk about, no harm done"

" Why I don't trust you?"

She sighed tiredly " Listen, I've got a headache and I'm tired, I don't want to chase you all over this cavern. Let's just end it for now, ok?"

Sparx stared at her with his arms folded on his chest " Spyro you hear this?"

Spyro's head rose from behind some gem cluster " Yeah I do" his eyes quickly located the black dragoness" How are you feeling?"

She bit her lower lip and tilted her head " Well let's see…I've got a nose bleed, probably every possible bone broken and my head is pounding" she gave Spyro a meaningful look " I'm fine!"

Spyro shook his head and returned to his previous point of focus, he almost pressed his nose to the glistening surface of the gems. His own purple snout reflected from the crystalline body as he looked over the gems from top to bottom.

" Engrossing aren't they?" a familiar yet quite raspy voice sounded from behind the purple dragon

He instantly spun around " Volteer!" Spyro exclaimed fearfully " You scared me, how you are holding up?"

The Electric Guardian shifted on the ground, he aligned his body in such a way so he could observe the gem clusters" It's perplexing how quickly arduous tasks harrow my body, the lifeline on which I so continually trudge got more mountainous and I find it more and more onerous to subjugate its terrains to my will. The sun has ultimately declared that my warrior's days had come to an end, however my heart beats with acute gaiety after it grasped the sight of youngsters taking what's meant to be theirs"

" Come on Volteer you are not that old"

The amber dragon smiled " Appealing words Spyro but so erroneous"

Spyro felt saddened after his words, he liked the amber dragon despite his wagging tongue, he has a very cheerful personality, the one people look for in the most dire of times. Just thinking that he won't be traveling with him any longer depressed Spyro greatly " So what are you going to do now?" he asked with a palpable anguish in his voice

Volteer pulled himself up from the ground " I presume that our mission requires fulfilment" with that he made his way towards the gems clusters

The moment Volteer's snout reflected from the surface of the crystals just next to Spyro's image, the purple dragon couldn't keep his curiosity from erupting any longer " What's so special about them?"

" I'm assured that you can elicit late Ignitus' words concerning dragons and our demise, yes? As you know we are uncanny creatures weaved from magic itself, the same source spawned the world as we know it now. With every recent entity the mythical vitality of our world is being squandered and to restore that dissipated power we reimburse the obtained energy after our demise"

" That explains why Spirit Gems are called our life force" Volteer continued " After we perish this is what we bequeath for future generations, a section of our own essence cradled in an ethereal sphere"

Spyro's eyes shot wide open " This is Malefor?!" he exclaimed shocked and jumped away from the gems impulsively

" This is the dude you guys whacked?" Sparx asked in excitement while he made his way closer towards one of the blue gems and began inspecting them as soon its surface reflected his image " He isn't that scary"

Cynder smirked " That's because you have to take a closer look" with that she slapped him with the blunt side of her tail, the dragonfly plastered onto the surface of the crystal and slumped down to the ground soon after. She grinned " How about now?"

" That didn't last long" Spyro commented the situation without any sign of surprise in his voice

Cynder shrugged " What can I say? Peace is fragile"

" No" Volteer's voice focused the attention of the group on the shimmering clusters " We shouldn't perceive the Spirit Gems in this manner. The crystals are solely an embodiment of the magical potential from which we are weaved. It is viable that a part of our singularity is perpetuated within the gems however we can't allow this thesis to befuddle our perspicacity, The Dark Master is gone"

Spyro kept staring at the glowing gems Volteer's response answered the question about the awkward feeling of dread behind the crystals. With one question out of the way another ones roused inside his head " Volteer you said that to restore my powers we need pure gems, so if a slight portion of Malefor's life force remained within the gems then how can they help us?"

" The gems sojourn pure only for a month or so after a dragon's demise, in the course of time the magic sustaining our world impairs the gems"

" Then we better hurry and get them to Warfang" Spyro stared at the clusters in silence " but how are we going to carry all of them?" he asked thoughtfully

Cynder looked around the cavern while scratching her choker, her claw stopped moving when her eyes located the laying troll " We could use the troll's tree-like arm to create some kind of bucket, the roots that connect its limbs would be perfect material for a rope of sorts, We put two and two together and voila! The transport is ready"

Spyro threw her a full of awe look " Cynder you are a genius"

She smiled " I have my moments"

* * *

Following Cynder's plan and listening to Volteer's advice, they filled the huge hunk with the required amount of gems, they've harvested almost the whole clusters yet there was still plenty of space left in the arm. With the gems in place they've wrapped the roots around the hunk and themselves creating some sort of a rope, before however they lifted the gem filled arm they've used a part of the troll's second arm to secure the hunk with some sort of a lid. With the goal of their mission in their paws they were ready to return to Warfang.

They've began flapping their wings, rocks started to roll on the ground and dust hung in the air as the three drakes began to raise to the sky, the gem filled hunk proved to be more heavier than it looked. Groaning they've flapped their wings powerfully just to pass the most strenuous part of every weight lifting, After struggling with the heavy load they eventually lifted the hunk from the ground, with it in the air it was much easier to raise vertically upwards and through the destroyed ceiling.

As they gained the proper attitude they've turned around and made their way in the direction of Warfang. The three dragons flew in a triangle formation, with Volteer as the tip and two young dragons as opposite sides of the figure. The hunk dangled in the middle on long roots and arched itself forth when the drakes pushed forward. Their pace was slow, but at least they were moving in the direction they wanted to, accompanied by Sparx, and as he called it, his motivating comments which not helped but annoyed the dragons greatly.

It took them a while to leave the ashy terrain behind them, not only they've left the wrecked ground but also close a chapter in the history book of this Realms, the once glorious temple a symbol of draconic mentality which turned later into a symbol of Malefor's dominance was no more. With it all the bad and good memories were gone, starting from both young dragons birth to The Dark Master's rule just to end with the saving of the world. The course of time made a full circle, Spyro and Cynder were introduced to the world in that temple which brought unforeseen adventures with it soon later, just to push the world they knew into another era which once again was weaved in mystery.

" Let's stop here" Cynder panted when the first stream of clear water came into view

" You are tired?" Spyro asked quite shocked when he heard here weary voice, back in the days they could fight during the day and run during the night just to fight once again the next morning without even breaking a sweat

She swallowed hard " No silly, but just look at me" Cynder pointed at her snout with one of her claws " I can't return to Warfang looking like this" stripes of dried blood ran from her nose just to end on her mouth

" Gosh what's the difference" Sparx blurt out irritated " You are ugly anyway, nothing can be done here"

" I know but at least I want to get rid of the taste of my own blood from my mouth" She smiled and looked at Spyro " So, shall we?"

" A moment of respite will do us all good" Volteer added

Since the group reached an agreement the only thing left was to find a suitable spot to land. They've found a small clearing which could be easily seen from above, a spot of green grass with trees forming a circle around the greenish ground. The landing proved difficult, the blowing wind and the weight they carried that arched in every direction didn't make it any simpler, it was hard to maintain balance for the three drakes but slowly and steadily they were making their way down.

The descent was especially troublesome for Cynder, the adrenaline pumping through her veins during the battle was gone since long, now exhaustion too its place. Panting heavily Cynder flapped her wings with last ounces of strength, during this strenuous effort an idea crossed her mind. She could just stop, give her aching body some rest and just fold her wings, she would drag them down with her just like a rock tied to someone's ankle. Who cares if it would be a rough landing, they would reach the ground, is it really so important how they achieve their goal?

Cynder shook off this hideous thoughts, she is not the one who gives up easily, not to mention that she couldn't risk the health of her friends only because she hit the wall. After Cynder regained her balance the landing went smoothly, as soon the dragons paws touched the ground they've unstrapped the roots that held the heavy load, giving their back a moment of relief.

Panting heavily Cynder slowly freed herself from the burden she had to carry, she was unstrapping the artificial rope clumsily, barely able to catch some breath as she did so. As she kept fighting fiercely with the shackles that held her Cynder could see that Volteer already dropped the bonds that weight on him and was laying already on the greenish ground, relaxing. Spyro was also free, he was busy with talking with Sparx and the Electric Guardian, most likely about their present situation.

She didn't care about such things now, with the last shallow breath and groan the roots finally fell on the ground, crushing the grass below. Cynder had troubles standing on her paws, she swayed for a while before she eventually managed to regain balance, her weak legs barely could hold her feminine body, she could feel like they were just about to snap under her weight.

With her friends busy Cynder as quickly as she could plodded towards the nearby trees, lured by the sound of flowing water. As she kept trudging towards the river she could her between her rapid breaths the sound of snapping twigs, someone was following her and even without looking behind her shoulder she knew exactly who it was.

" Cynder!" Spyro shouted from behind her " Where are you going?"

" I've told you already…I…I need to…wash myself"

" Maybe you need some company?"

Cynder giggled weakly " As good as it may sound I think…that…that I can take care of it myself"

His cheeks adopted an intense red color when he repeated his words inside his head, the sentence sound a bit awkward to say the least " No, no, no, no…" he babbled quickly " I didn't mean…it's just that… I worry about you"

She caught a short breath " You always worry about me" Cynder panted and gave him a weak charming smile " Please Spyro, I need some privacy"

"But-"

" You can't leave Volteer with Sparx he needs…needs someone intelligent to talk to" she panted and grinned faintly.

Spyro was staring at her with concerned eyes, he could plainly see that she is tired, exhausted even and she is trying to hide it, even if she isn't doing a very good job at it. He didn't understand why is acting so mysteriously, he couldn't understand her stubbornness, however she is his friend, whatever is nagging her didn't get out of paw yet so he might as well respect her wish even if reluctantly. With that Spyro nodded and retreated back towards the clearing.

Cynder sighed in relief when his purple tail finally disappeared behind some bushes and trees, she didn't want to bring another problem on him, he has enough to worry about. Regaining his Time abilities and withstanding the constant adoration of people are not some trifle matters.

Soon she arrived near a crystal clear river, some colorful fish could be seen just below the surface of the water. Warfang's neighbouring lands have one thing in common, they are as beautiful as they are serene. Cynder collapsed near the riverbank, as she laid there on the ground her chest was moving up and down is fast motion, after a while she finally calmed her breath and was strong enough to carry on with her mission.

She looked at the water and could clearly see her own reflection, a streak of dried blood ran from her nose and towards her mouth. Cynder dipped her paw into the water and began cleaning the blood from her snout, she had to scrub her black scales to make the blood go away. As she kept cleaning herself she every now and then took a sip from the water to satisfy her growing thirst and as she did so she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Her eyelids were extremely heavy, the earlier fight and the two nightmares the previous nights left her drained, her body demanded sleep and oh how she wanted to give it what it wanted. She opened her eyes once again as she sprayed the water on her mouth not really caring whether she is already clean or not. Cynder jerked back just when she was about to dip her paw once again, either she imagined it or there was something below the surface of the water, whatever the thing was, it was gone now.

Cynder decided to ignore it, she might have been seeing things, after all she is tired beyond any imagination. She once again splashed some water on her snout, with her eyes closed she enjoyed the cooling effect of the water dripping down from her snout. Cynder took a deep breath and opened her eyes as she prepared to dip her paw once more, the moment her emerald gaze fixed itself on the water she gasped, a slim black shape darted to a side below the water's surface.

Cynder quickly jumped on all fours and narrowed her eyes on the swirling shape, it was swimming back and forth swiftly, her emerald orbs had troubles to catch up with it, and just when she thought to herself that this has to be some kind of strange fish that's not even worth bothering with the black shape stopped moving. A swirling black dot darkened the azure water, Cynder cautiously took some steps back, watching the dark dot intently.

She thrust her claws delicately into the earth below her reading herself for a confrontation. The black shape rose from the water vertically, it was a pitch-dark unsubstantial creature its body was covered in dust, it had the same build like the shadow creature she saw back in the cave some days ago. However this creature looked more like a living tentacle with the high of a meerkat than a warrior, it had no arms, ears or whatsoever, it was only a small slim shape protruding from the water, only a pair of white eyes observed the black dragoness. It didn't look scary or evil at all, why it was even quite cute.

Cynder eyed the creature with a shocked frown and her mouth slightly agape, she never seen anything like it, whatever the thing was it didn't seem too keen on attacking her, it just remained there above the surface of the water swaying slightly as it observed her.

" Ummm…Hi there little guy" Cynder greeted the creature awkwardly

It just stared at her with big innocent white eyes.

"What are you? Can you speak?" she asked

The shadowy creature tilted its body as if in confusion and emitted some kind of squealing sound. Even if she could clearly see that the creature had no mouth it was still worth a try, at least she managed to find out that the strange being is intelligent

" You understand me don't you? Just what are you exactly?" Cynder asked loudly and made a step forward to inspect the creature more closely

Seeing her advance the shadowy being squealed and lowered itself down into the water, only its eyes remained above the surface

" No, no, no, sorry I didn't mean to startle you" she tried to calm down the odd looking beast with a soft tone " My name is Cynder and I'm a friend"

It still remained in the same position

" I won't hurt you" she dropped on the riverbank and delicately rippled the water with her claw " Don't be afraid, you are safe"

Her words seemed to work on the critter, it looked more relaxed than just a couple of seconds ago, slightly more of the creature's body appeared above the surface of the water, just like it wanted to show her how it feels.

" That's the spirit" Cynder patted the beast on the back while smiling kindly " Can you come closer? She once again rippled the water, urging the critter to move.

The shadowy creature presented a little more of its body and moved a bit closer, however after a couple of seconds it stopped

" Come, come it's alright, no one is going to harm you, don't be afraid, you are amongst friends"

The creature deciding that she is worth thrusting darted towards the black dragoness and stopped just at her paw's reach

She extended her paw towards the beast " You are quite cute" however just when she was about to touch it her eyes shot wide open when the creature dived underwater

" Hey!" Cynder exclaimed before she craned her neck forward so her head was hanging directly above the water " Come back, I'm sorry I shouldn't have try to touch you" she stared at the water but nothing happened, just when she was about to give up a black dot appeared on the surface of the water which was getting bigger with each second.

Cynder smiled inwardly, the strange creature was coming back, this time she will play it differently, however her happiness didn't last long since instead of appearing on the surface the creature shot from the water. She only emitted a faint gasp when the beast wrapped itself around her neck and squeezed it tightly before it dragged her underwater. Bubbles were coming out of her mouth as she tried to scream while she thrashed just to release herself from the deadly grip. Cynder was gasping for breath in mere seconds, her lungs started to sting, black dots darkened her vision not to mention that she could feel that her neck was almost completely crushed.

The small treacherous creature somehow was dragging her down, Cynder with the last ounces of her fading life started to thrash violently, she kicked in every direction, spun underwater, flapped her wings ferociously, she even scratched the creature with her claws and as she did so a screeching sound could be heard. Cynder did everything she could to free herself and somehow it was working, instead of going down she was raising up, the dancing sun rays on the surface of the water above were enough motivation for her, with one last powerful push of her paws and wings she reached for the enthralling salvation.

Somehow she could breathe the moment she resurfaced, with a loud gasp for air Cynder started to scratch the strange creature around her neck, every time her claws run alongside its slim body the same as previously screeching sound could be heard, like the beast was made of metal. However the critter was far from defeated, it tried to drag her once again underwater but she fought relentlessly, her thrashing creating loud splashing sounds as she fought to remain above the water. Cynder groaned as she tried to pull off the creature from her neck but it didn't want to budge, no matter how hard she scratched and yanked the shadowy being, it just didn't want to move.

" Cynder! What are you doing?" a familiar male shout came from the riverbank

Her heart pounded faster, she knew it was Spyro and he appeared just in time, with his help she will definitely get rid of the creature. She turned around in the water just to be able to see him, he was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression, it seems he was also shocked by the sight before him. Cynder kept scratching the beast but as previously it didn't want to budge " Get this thing off of me!" she groaned as she gave the critter another pull

" I thought that you like that choker"

"Wha-" she mumbled and impulsively blinked, he was still there staring at her, but this time he might have a bigger confusion plastered on his snout than before, however that was not the most crucial thing that changed. Cynder could no longer feel the creature, she looked down just to see her paws on the silver choker on her neck, with one of her forelegs she scratched the necklace while with the other she tried to pull it off. Cynder in utter confusion started to turn around splashing the water in every direction as she did so, to her surprise there was no sign of the creature. It was gone.

" Cynder are you sure nothing is wrong?" Spyro asked with a concerned voice " You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

She balked at the sound of his voice, even if she wanted to tell him about it she wouldn't even know how to start, after all it's not like she understands what is happening. Cynder decided to play stupid " Come on silly" she chuckled nervously " Couldn't you see that I was fooling around?"

" That didn't look as fooling around to me"

" What else can it be? I wanted to clean myself, and do you know any better why to do that than jump into a water? I've decided to go for a swim, can you blame me that I wanted to pass the time somehow? There is no better way to do that than to play if you ask me, wanna join me?" Cynder asked uneasily

" I'm sorry Cynder but we can't lose any more time, we have lingered here long enough" Spyro replied bluntly

" What are you talking about? It's not like I've been here for hours"

" Actually you've been here for three hours, the first time I came here I saw you sleeping on the riverbank so I thought that you deserved some rest after that battle. I would let you sleep longer but Volteer said that time is of the essence so here I am"

" I fell asleep?" Cynder asked perplexed

" Yep, you were really tired Cynder you could barely walk and now look at yourself, that had to be some really special nap" Spyro smiled

" You have no idea" she muttered under her breath. He had no reason to lie to her, it seemed that she drifted away while she was washing herself. That would be the only logical explanation for her unexpected encounter, of course if there is a logical explanation for a tentacle-like creature trying to choke her. Cynder decided to leave it be, there is no sense to dwell on it now, she had more pressing matters on her head right now, the strange dreams can be figured out later.

" Let's get moving" she stated confidently

Spyro nodded in agreement and waited for her as she pulled herself out of the water. The moment both dragons have reunited they've made their way back to the clearing. As they've been walking Cynder looked behind her shoulder, just to check if the creature is there, it wasn't.

"Finally" Sparx exhaled gratefully when both young dragons came into view " What took you so long?" he asked indignantly and pointed one of his fingers at Volteer accusingly "I can barely stand the guy, he never shuts up"

Cynder rolled her eyes " Look who's talking"

" Point taken, but you have to admit that at least I make some sense"

She laughed heartily " You made my day"

Sparx frowned and folded his arms " Shut up"

Volteer approached the three friends " I don't want to disparage this rapturous state of mind but we must make haste, the reclamation of your talent Spyro is receding with each passing second"

Reaching a common agreement the three dragons once again wrapped the roots around themselves and once again they lifted the heavy load from the ground. Cynder had more strength in her this time, that special nap as Spyro called it helped her a bit. She couldn't tell if the sleep itself had anything to do with it but she was quite sure that the life threating experience gave her a new lease of life.

With the crystals in the air the group dragged the heavy hunk towards Warfang, not even Volteer knew when the crystals will lose their special properties but this was no time to be taking risks, they had to reach Warfang as soon as possible. From this moment forth their journey was a quick and an uneventful one, only the grunts of struggle broke the silence.

After a while of calm flight the thick walls of the Dragon City came into view, that sight roused some additional strength in the dragons as they pushed harder than before just to reach its walls as fast as possible. The guards had already spotted them since the whole city was bustling with activity, as they flew over the walls and the many buildings the crowd of people greeted them from below, even from here the group of friends could see curiosity plastered on their faces, after all the sight of three dragons carrying a huge hunk of crystals is not a day to day experience.

They've landed in the courtyard of the City Hall, the moment the heavy trolls' arm was placed delicately onto the ground, both young dragons following Volteer's lead positioned themselves in front of the hunk. With the three dragons in position they began dragging the hunk towards the massive adorned doors which led to the City Hall. The Electric Guardian's excitement grew with each step they made, it grew and grew almost to the pint when it radiated of him.

When the sound of the opening doors echoed throughout the interior of the City Hall both Terrador and Cyril rose their heads from the papers sprawled on the top of the table which they were reading diligently. Both Guardians weren't really keen to welcome Volteer back and question him since they both knew that the Electric Guardian will tell them about everything, in great detail of course. However they couldn't hide their confusion when they noticed a big hunk being dragged across the room.

Terrador rose from behind the table and made his way towards the approaching group, eyeing intently the heavy load they carried with them " Why did you bring a troll's arm here?" he asked with his baritone voice

Before any of the dragons could answer him Sparx interjected, he appeared from behind the hunk and hovered in front of the Earth Guardian " This is a really special troll's arm, which we were able to get thanks to my amazing skills and intelligence, not that I'm bragging or anything. I'm just that good"

" Fascinating" the Earth Guardian replied without any emotion before he focused on the group once again " Volteer can you kindly explain for what do you need this special troll's arm?"

" Haste is required, we will converse later" the Electric Guardian replied with palpable excitement

Cyril's eyes shot wide open " Did I hear correctly? You actually want to talk LATER?" the third Guardian asked using a tone of voice that was full of scorn and amusement

" Correct"

" Someone pinch me" the Ice Guardian cackled

There was no other response from the group as they were entirely focused on the task at hand, this effort required all of their strength which they just couldn't waste on conversation. Seeing their commitment Terrador didn't ask any more questions, he bottled up his curiosity until the group entered the Guardian's Quarters and two young dragons emerged from within its walls soon after.

" Spyro…?" Terrador prolonged his name meaningfully

The purple dragon swallowed and took a deep breath " Volteer needs some time to prepare everything"

" Prepare what exactly?"

" The hunk we dragged in here? It's filled with pure Spirit Gems. Before you ask…" Spyro cut off Terrador just when he was about to speak "…this gems are quite fragile, they get tainted after a while, meaning they can no longer wake up dormant powers of dragons, like my Time ability for example"

" That's not everything" Cynder added " With the help of these gems Spyro will most likely be able to detect the veils that were created after he healed the world"

Terrador tilted his head " Veils?"

" Something like holes in the air that lead to another day, month or year, no big deal really" she winked

" I can't believe it" Cyril exhaled incredulously " The old babbler was right after all"

" As much as the time jumping seems to be somewhat exciting I don't like the sound of it" The Earth Guardian retorted with the caution of an experienced soldier

They have been talking, sharing their thoughts and feelings about the recent events and what the future may hold for them until the sound of Volteer's excited voice called them from the Guardians Quarters. Impulsively they made their way into the library, the draconic instinct didn't let them down, they have found the Electric Guardian where they've expected him to be.

The library looked quite different than before, the bookshelves that once stood in the center of the room were now nicely aligned on the walls, the red carpet that once covered the floor was folded and tossed into a corner, not to mention the wooden floor itself, boards and nails were scattered around the room just like somebody would tear them off from the ground on purpose. A big shimmering blue circle was now in the middle of the room, in the center of that circle wan another smaller one from which many glowing tendrils protruded and connected themselves with the inner ring of the bigger circle. Even from here the dragons could feel the power emanating from the strange mosaic.

" What's that Volteer?" Terrador asked while staring at the Electric Guardian's creation

" Dazzling is it not?" Volteer replied with a happy tone " Basing on Spyro's tale about The Chronicler and his inexplicable restoration of dormant potential I've devised this spectacular Focusing Ring. In the place of the abolished and superfluous floor I've imbedded segments of the gems we retrieved from the cave and forged a point of focus where all the potential of the crystals will accrue. Fundamentally this concept is like a substantial gem cluster, as we conceive our kind is able to ingurgitate only single crystals, that's why it's crucial to fragmentize them. If dragons could correlate with whole clusters of Spirit Gems that would prompt to a situation where-"

" Get to the point Volteer" Cyril hissed irritated

" Yes, naturally, Spyro please stand in the middle of the smaller ring and we will proceed."

Spyro did what he was told, as he approached the circle he kept thinking about Malefor and his essence trapped within these shattered crystals. As he kept walking he noticed that Cynder was sharing his worries, her concerned emerald eyes followed him as he walked towards the circle. With one deep breath he stopped in the middle of the smaller ring, it may be his only chance to recover his lost ability.

" Whenever you are ready Spyro" Volteer said.

Spyro knew what is required of him, this circle reminded him of the ones that The Chronicler created in his dreamworld. He needs only to focus on the gems, just like he would be absorbing a single crystal, however this time thanks to the specially designed mosaic all of the crystals gathered in the room will join with his body at the same time. Another deep breath, well here goes nothing.

Spyro concentrated and soon the whole mosaic began to glow with a blue light that was becoming more intense with each passing second. The whole library was covered in a blue gleam instantly, the intense blue light illuminated the bigger circle and was now moving through the tendrils, behaving like some kind of spark every now and then. In mere moments the shimmer entered the smaller ring, when that happened a column of blue light surrounded Spyro which ended on the ceiling above.

He was lifted in the air while he was in the gleaming prison, as he hovered above the ground Spyro could feel as the gems were making their way through his body, fueling him with their essence and magical energy. It felt like thousands suns passing though his body, the feeling died down and he landed on the floor with shaking paws. Spyro swayed slightly while the world kept spinning around and his head pounded, the awkward feeling of his insides turned upside down was gone after a while, another sensation appeared in the place of the vertigo, one that he was familiar with but quite forgotten. He knew what it was-Time.

" Spyro is our experiment a success?" Volteer asked barely able to contain his excitement

Spyro smiled " I'll show you" with that he channeled his time powers.

Everything slowed down, every noise disappeared, everything seemed to be still, just like something would steal the life from the entire world and cast it into the realm of black and white,. Only on closer inspection one could see Cynder's head slowly turning, Volteer's tongue moving as it tries to form another word, Sparx slowly flapping wings or the Guardians lazily changing grimaces.

Spyro was the only one who moved freely in this timeshift, he left the circle and made his way in front of his brother, he stopped right in front of his nose and halted his little trick. The moment everything returned to normal the first thing that was heard was Sparx's terrified yelp, in sock the dragonfly shot backwards quite some distance away. Spyro only laughed

" You think that's funny?!" Sparx exclaimed angrily " I've almost had an heart attack!"

" Spyro please, please do it again" Cynder begged him in a childish and sarcastic manner

" Our goal is achieved!" Volteer exclaimed loudly " Further tests and observations are required, come" with that he darted through the door.

Everyone in the library threw confused looks between themselves, but seeing that Volteer was right about everything regarding the strange unexplained occurrences it was not the time to doubt him now. With a shrug they followed the Electric Guardian outside.

The moment they left the City Hall the group immediately took to the sky and in silence followed Volteer's quick pace, wondering what's the amber dragon up to now. They have flown only for a short while, leaving some buildings and wider streets behind them just to land in a pretty secluded alley at this time of the day. Nothing interesting was here, just some walls, statues and lanterns. The Electric Guardian landed with the same verve as he had when he took to the sky, the group that followed him reached the ground soon after.

As their claws clicked on the marble road Volteer immediately spun around " Does your eyes perceive something unprecedented Spyro?"

He looked around, there was nothing here that could be accounted as unusual " Sorry Volteer but I can't see anything. I don't even know what I'm looking for"

" In this part of Warfang Brill made his inexplicable appearance. One of the Veils must be here"

" Even if that is the truth I don't know how can I locate it, it might not be here anymore."

" The potential of aggregation is depreciated" Volteer replied with growing anticipation in his voice

Spyro understood his hint, he want him to try so he might as well do what is expected of him, it's not like he has anything to lose anyway. He once again began to look around, there was nothing there, he inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and concentrated. After exhaling the accumulated air he opened his eyes and began to turn his head around again, as far as he could tell nothing changed. He repeated the same move two more times but those attempts also didn't bear fruit.

Spyro began to move around the alley desperately looking for that itch that announced a hole in the world is nearby, nothing like that seemed to be here. He began swaying his tail slowly just to cover more space, and it was then when he felt a small itch on his purple scales. Spyro instantly spun around forcing a slight gasp from his friends, he impulsively began moving his paw back and forth in the air, directly in the place where he felt that itch. As he moved his paw to the right side he felt a slight tug on his claws, he moved his paw to the opposite side, another tug, another side- tug, once again to the left-tug. He withdrew his paw and clenched his fist, there was something there, weak but still there.

Spyro took a short breath and extended his foreleg while also unclenching his fist and concentrating, his eyes shot wide open when the air in front of him rippled slightly, just like he would dip his claws into the water. Only three of his claws managed to pierce the weak barrier, he began clenching and unclenching his fist, moving his claws and paw in every possible direction and as he did so he created small ripples in the air just like he would be rippling the water.

" Can you see this?" Spyro whispered in shock

" Spectacular discovery!" Volteer roared loudly " Spyro I believe that you can not only sense the Veils but somehow also be able to manipulate them"

" Manipulate them?" Terrador repeated his last words cautiously

The Electric Guardian began making circles " I presume that it is attainable to transform the Veils into some kind of doors, a gateway between two equivalent universes but in a comprehensively separate day or even age!"

Cynder scratched her choker thoughtfully " You want to say that-"

" Damn, it's gone" Spyro interjected " I think I've depleted it"

She once again focused on the amber dragon " You want to say that it is possible for us to jump in time?"

" Precisely!" Volteer replied almost feverishly

" So everyone on the other side of the mirror can pass through this portal whenever they wish to?" Cyril asked

" It's too early to state any facts, more investigation in this matter is required, but I believe it is possible"

" And that is what worries me the most " Terrador added while throwing an alarmed glance at the place where the Veil was previously.

* * *

Spyro stood on the balcony of his room, his eyes were jumping from Warfang and the stretching world in the distance and as he observed the scenery he couldn't help it but wonder when things got so complicated. A day before yesterday he was happily living with his parents in his house in the Swamps, day after he defeated The Dark Master with Cynder and saved the world, and when he thought it was finally over today he learned that healing the world had its consequences. This time however there is no one who can tell him about the strange occurrences he is about to face, the unknown terrified him and the feeling of dread only intensified the feeling."

" Big, huh? Sparx appeared next to Spyro

He sighed " Tell me about it"

" And here when I thought that we will finally rest, bam! We are back in business"

" This is different, we don't know what we are up against and it scares the hell out of me"

Sparx patted his shoulder " Bro relax, it's not our first rodeo"

Spyro threw his brother an surprised look " Aren't you worried at all? It might change the world we know entirely"

The dragonfly shrugged " Nope, and honestly I've expected something will turn up eventually, bro face it, you are a magnet for troubles but luckily for you I will be around to assist you with my above average intelligence"

Spyro chuckled " I don't doubt that" his smile vanished the moment he looked at the horizon

" Mystery is as appalling as it is thrilling" Volteer added as he landed on the balcony next to the brothers

" I think we would get along without it just fine"

"There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors to perception"

Spyro sighed and smiled weakly " It seems we will have to wait and see what I've created"

Volteer smiled " A realm which I deemed was latent"

Hey, hey, hey!" Sparx protested " Remember that some of us are normal and can't understand you. So care to explain what did you create?"

Spyro exchanged smiles with Volteer before he looked at the horizon, lost in thought

" A new world"

End of Book I


	19. Chapter 1 Book II

The Legend of Spyro: Path of Delusions

Book II: No rest for the wicked

Chapter 1

The flipping of the pages eventually stopped at a blank page and the moment it happened the yellow light grew darker as the book was slowly leaving its embrace. There was a sharp tug that ruffled the pages as the book returned under the yellow light, with another flip the beautiful text revealed itself indicating that whatever has started is not about to end just yet.

* * *

_A room where nothing is what it seems, where different landscapes were visible through the many tightly locked windows, where one of the windows showed a city built at the bottom of the mountain while the other kept the empty black void at bay. A room where almost every item looked out of place, items that at first glance where motionless however such revelations are impossible in a room full of paradoxes, what never moves is never still after all._

_A room where only a single pair of doors allowed entrance to the eerie real outside which was surrounded by an empty space with small pieces of rocks hovering in the air, . A single marble bridge ran from the doorstep and into the void leading nowhere else but into nothingness. A single grayish-light blue dragon stood amongst this unnatural scenery entirely focused on the huge tome sprawled on one of the pedestals._

* * *

" _The power bestowed upon the race of the dragon kin is beyond any creature's understanding, Our Ancestors, our Creators they say, granted us that boon, a boon that is capable to twist and shape the reality in ways perhaps that it should never have been molded. We should ask ourselves, if there is a power that can change the entire perception of the current era should it be wielded so carelessly by mortal creatures? Should the power of divine beings be grasped only because it's within a hands reach?"_

" _These questions are simply overthrown by the current denizens of this era, because only the purple scaled serpents can wield such power, it means that they have been chosen by the Ancestors themselves. Even if that is the truth we tend to forget that such individuals are fighting not with weapon wielding enemies but themselves. The eternal dispute between ones heart and mind leads mostly to an unexpected outcomes, mortal creatures are prone to mistakes, with such power in one's blood these mistakes cannot be corrected. This forces us to contemplate once more, bestowing such a gift upon creatures that may have a false understanding between what is good and bad is some sort of a test? Or perhaps the Divine beings deemed worthy the mortal creatures of such power? Or perhaps the Ancestors had nothing to do with it in the first place?"_

" _The gift of manipulating the particles the world is created from is no small feat that can be trifled with. One can only wonder if meddling with the spine of every life's existence has any consequences. For some Time is the beginning and the end, a road connecting one point to the other, some imagine it as a waterfall from which you keep falling and falling until you crash on the rocks below, some picture it as a jump down a deep chasm. It is something uncontrollable, something that is unchangeable. That is the most popular assumption, but what if we could be able to drop a tree onto such road and block it? What if we could halt the flow of water by placing a huge boulder on its path? What if we could tie a rope around our waist before jumping into the chasm? Some individuals are capable of such things, so if they can alter or completely avert the presumably unchangeable current can it still be called Time?"_

" _If death is considered as the end of one's Time, as the final destination, as the unavoidable fate of every living creature, as the eternal rest, knowing what we know now can we say with absolute resolute that Time is really the end? As we already know, using or placing trust in the power of life, power which nobody is capable to fully comprehend is a dangerous thing to do, even if we used that power unintentionally" _

"_Meddling with Time may have unforeseen consequences, what if the purple scaled drakes could not only stop but also reverse the eternal flow and bring back a past era with all its horrors? Are the current inhabitants prepared for such an outcome? I ask again: if death is considered to be the end and we bring a person who already reached that line back without using any restoration magic can we really say that Time is the end of the line?"_

"_What then is Time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know"_

_ Excerpt from the Book of Time  
Legacy of the Ancestors_

* * *

" She tried to cook me!" a terrified dragon's scream filled the entire Mess Hall as soon as the tail of a female cheetah disappeared back into the kitchen.

Momentarily the whole room burst out laughing from another victim of Sparx mischief

" One day they are going to throw you into a pot themselves" Spyro stated smiling

Sparx shrugged " What for? I do it to teach people a lesson, same thing was with you"

" Yeah? And just what did you try to teach me?"

" That my jokes are always funny"

Spyro chuckled " I wonder what that guy did to offend you"

Sparx snorted " Can you imagine that he said that I'm not much of a help and just get in the way?". There was a moment of silence after his words " Something is wrong" he turned his head and saw Cynder sitting on the opposite side of the table with her head hanging low, snoring softly

" That explains everything"

Spyro arched an eyebrow " Is she sleeping?"

The dragonfly whistled loudly, Cynder snapped out from her sleep, she squealed gently and balked instantly at the shrill sound.

Sparx grinned " Nope, she's not"

Spyro threw his brother a scoldful look before he concentrated on his female friend " Cynder is everything ok? He asked tenderly

" Yeah" she muttered while rubbing one of her tired eyes with her paw " I just didn't get enough sleep" she yawned

The dragonfly snapped his fingers " You know what would wake you up? A hot soup"

" I'm not going into that kitchen" she retorted firmly

Sparx threw a blueberry into the air and positioned himself just below the fruit so it fell directly into his opened mouth " Suit yourself" he munched the sweet fruit

" Cynder when you will finally tell me what's going on?" Spyro asked but this time without any hint of tenderness in his voice

Her eyes flared up at the sound of his tone " And just how many times do I have to tell you that nothing is wrong?"

" I'm just worried about you"

" You are always worried about me, just give it a rest"

" If you could just tell me what's wrong then maybe-"

" Stop, just stop" she hissed cutting him off while rubbing her forehead " I didn't sleep well, that's everything, it won't happen again" she winced and began massaging her shoulder

Spyro stared at her, whatever is that she's hiding can't be any good, he wasn't angry at her for lying to him, Spyro knew her well enough, if she has a reason to deceive him it has to be a solid one. For now he decided to keep an eye on her and wait for the right moment to act

" Nothing makes a day better like a friendly talk in the morning" Sparx said sarcastically while munching another portion of his breakfast

" Nothing is better than to get something of your chest during a breakfast with your friends" Hunter who was sitting next to them in his worker's outfit retorted while eying Cynder intently

She understood the hint precisely however she decided to play dumb and gave the cheetah a fake warm smile " Hunter how is Warfang? Still a lot work ahead of you?" Cynder quickly changed the subject

The feline kept staring at her " Warfang is faring better, however the city is vast, it has secrets that we need to uncover, it would be better for all of us" as the cheetah spoke he put emphasis on _secrets_

She narrowed her eyes on him, she understood perfectly the meaning of his words and he knew it " Vast cities are complicated and that's why they have secrets, to make our life easier. If we will relentlessly pursue that knowledge we might find something that we really didn't want to find"

" We are the citizens of Warfang, it's our duty to help the city to reveal its secrets even if dangerous ones because only together we can face every trouble"

His words pushed the right button, Cynder averted her gaze and began to think if she is doing the right thing by deceiving Spyro " Warfang's duty is to protect the citizens and as every protector the city tries to keep everyone out of harm's way and cope with the problems alone. I think that Warfang will reveal its secrets if it will be necessary" she gave the feline a meaningful look

After a moment of consideration Hunter nodded slightly " As citizens of this city we have to respect its wishes"

" Sorry guys but I think you treat Warfang a bit too personally" Spyro replied cluelessly

Both of them gave the purple dragon amused glances before they looked at each other again, the moment their eyes met they both laughed

Spyro jerked back slightly " What did I say?"

Hunter chuckled " Nothing my friend, don't bother yourself with it"

He threw quick glances between the cheetah and the black dragoness, after a while he shrugged and continued eating his breakfast

" Tell me, what do you think about the recent events? The Guardians didn't want to say much, but I could tell they were worried, at least the two of them were" the cheetah put a piece of some meat into his mouth

" It scared me at first if I have to be honest, but I gave it some thought while in bed and I think that we are overreacting, I mean If somebody is lucky and manages to jump through a portal into our time is it really a bad thing? We know now that the veils don't last long, the one Brill came through is gone now so if a bad guy comes through a portal he won't be able to pull his friends with him. Besides we don't even know how many veils are out there, what if only two of them appeared? One is gone already" Spyro replied

" Dude seriously" Sparx interjected "Find a room, we can't sleep together, you are creeping me out"

One of the cheetah's ears flatted on his skull " The Guardians seem to think otherwise"

The purple dragon furrowed a brow " How so?"

Hunter took a sip of water from his mug " The venerable dragons requested that I've sent my falcons to the nearby villages and cities for news of any unusual sightings, the recent events put them on edge, only Volteer seemed to be calm"

" When that happened?"

" Yesterday, Terrador called for me and asked for my assistance, I think some of the birds should be returning today"

Spyro blinked in concern " This can't be good, if Terrador thinks that something is out of place then I was wrong and we might have more troubles then we thought"

" He isn't infallible you know" Cynder added

" He is a veteran, he can smell trouble, tell me when was the last time his instinct has failed him?"

She scratched her choker thoughtfully " Ok I don't remember" she saw Spyro opening his mouth " But that doesn't mean anything!" she cut him off

" Yeah bro, listen to Sleepy head" Sparx pointed a finger at Cynder" She's not very bright but sometimes and I mean sometimes she is right"

She nodded her head towards the dragonfly " Remember bro that Fifth Wheel is stupid I mean always stupid but sometimes he is right"

" Yeah, maybe you are right" Spyro muttered

Both the dragonfly and the black dragoness jerked back with a frown on their faces " Thanks a lot" they blurt out indignantly at the same time

His eyes grew wider when realization struck him " No, no" he blurt out " That's not what I've meant" Spyro muttered quickly

Hunter just chuckled and shook his head before taking another sip of the fresh water

* * *

Quiet murmurs could be heard all around Warfang's streets, rumors spread like fire it seems, as they walked down the marble roads they could tell that people were worried, curious or even excited. Some of the words reached their ears as they walked, some were making sense and were almost accurate like they knew exactly what is happening, some however were completely misguided, they could only wonder if imaginations of a mind has any bounds. Even if they wouldn't hear the words they could tell that people smelled something is going on since as they ambled through the streets the inhabitants threw them quick curious glances, when they wanted to look at the gossipers they quickly averted their gazes and pretended like nothing ever happened.

It seems that people didn't know or didn't care that some stones are better left unturned, ignorance is bliss they say. The three friends knew better however, and the inhabitants seemed to feel it, none of them dared to approach them to satisfy their curiosity fully for which they were very glad they don't know what exactly is happening yet themselves, spreading uncertain news would only sow panic. As they were slowly returning to the City Hall to meet Hunter and the Guardians and wait in anticipation for the news from the nearby settlements, Cynder unexpectedly took a turn near the now familiar fountain and directed her friends towards the building with a shape of an empty bed carved just above its entrance.

The hospital wasn't empty this time, it wasn't crowded either but there were some patients in the main hall waiting for their turn to get patched up, cheetahs and moles were the only species inside the building. The reconstruction of Warfang like any other worksite sometimes punishes the most unfortunate ones, accidents happen after all. The injuries that the workers filling the room suffered were nothing serious, a bloody scratch here, a minor laceration there, nothing that a simple treatment can't handle. It wasn't surprising that no dragon was present in the room, the draconic kind had the natural ability of regeneration so it was pointless to visit the hospital and drain its valuable supplies when time takes care of any minor wound on dragon scales.

Some of the desks were occupied by mole and cheetah nurses, every single one of them was quite busy. Patients waited in lines for their turn to be treated, the ones who already received help were leaving the hospital with bandages covering injured parts of their bodies. Since the wounds weren't drastic, bandages were in high demand, only when the injury happened in a uncomfortable place the patient was offered a poultice to speed up the healing process. Even if Cynder could find the thing she was looking for here she led her friends, much to their surprise towards the once used corridor and knocked on the familiar door.

" Come in!" a familiar female kind shout came from within

Cynder opened the door and saw the female cheetah doctor arranging the frame of the only painting in her office " Hi Amela!" she exclaimed a happy greeting

The cheetah averted her gaze from the painting and looked at the black dragoness with a warm smile on her face " Hello Sweetheart it's good to see you alright, how is your head?"

" The wound healed, thank you, that paste or whatever it was made wonders"

The feline nodded smiling " I'm glad"

" Hi Amela!" Spyro's joyful shout came from the corridor

The cheetah leaned a bit to see behind the black dragoness and waved her paw in a greeting manner the moment she spotted him behind the opened doors, the kind smile never disappearing from her face " Oh, hello Darling!"

Cynder frowned and tilted her head slightly at the sound of his voice, with that she forthrightly slammed the door shut with her tail, much to the surprise of the doctor and Spyro himself " He won't be joining us, he is afraid of needles, the last time he was here he almost fainted, you know how it is" she gave the feline a sarcastic smile

She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes on the black dragoness " I see, phobias are not to be trifled with" she responded with the same sarcastic tone and made her way behind the desk " What's on your mind Sweetheart?" she asked the moment she sat on the chair while placing her chin on her crossed fingers

" I need some sleeping pills"

The cheetahs ears flinched" Sleeping pills you say? You can get those easily from the nurses at the main hall, why come to me?"

Cynder scratched her choker " Umm… I need some really strong pills, ones that would knock me out off my paws"

"Why?"

She cleared her throat " Why? I can't sleep obviously"

Amela straightened in her chair " Sweetheart the medicine you are asking for is not a one that I would give away freely, we use it to put a patient into sleep during operation, I just can't give them to you because you ask for them, it might be dangerous"

She looked at the cheetah with pleading eyes " Please Amela I really need them"

The cheetah's brown eyes shone with sincere concern " I believe you came to me for a reason and the pills you are asking for are only a secondary problem. Am I right?"

Cynder lowered her head, she came to the feline not only for the pills but also to find someone to talk to, she didn't want to drag Spyro into this, not yet however. Bottling things up might only make the whole situation worse and since Amela can keep a secret and understand her without words, she was the first and only person in the whole city she could turn to.

" Yes" Cynder whispered

Amela stood up and patted the sheets of the bed in her office " Sit we will talk"

She slowly made her way towards the bed and sat on it. Awkwardness and uncertainty filled her entire being, both sensations forced her to bit her lower lip " I…I don't know how to start" she muttered nervously

Amela smiled kindly " I'll help you get through this" with that she pulled the chair positioning it in front of the black dragoness, the cheetah sat and leaned against its backrest " Before we start Sweetheart I want you to relax"

"O…ok" Cynder wriggled her shoulders

" This is not an interrogation, I want you to understand that"

" Of course I know that!" she giggled nervously before clearing her throat " I mean, you are the only person excluding Spyro of course, that didn't try to kill me, maim me, beat me or insult me on sight. Amela sorry for my nervousness but I'm not used to talk to other people so openly, Spyro is the only one who ever listened and trusted me"

The cheetah's eyes glowed with sincere concern " That's horrible Sweetheart! I'm so sorry"

" Don't be, this is my penance for all the awful things I've done, I can handle it"

" That's a sweet delusion but unfortunately we all crave for acceptance be it a guilt filled person or a father of two children. Despite our differences that one weakness we all have in common, in your case Sweetheart it will come easier if only you just let the past where it belongs and move forward, the guilt will kill you"

Cynder sighed with her head hanging low " If it were only that simple"

Amela smiled kindly " Oh Dear, nobody said life is easy"

She raised her head and arched an eyebrow as she looked at the female cheetah " There is something I need to tell you I…" her voice trailed off as she was lost for words, Cynder began scratching her choker nervously " I don't know how to explain this but something directed me to this room, I feel strangely umm attracted to you" she bit her lower lip

Amela's ears flinched, she seemed startled " How so?"

" I…I can't really explain this, somehow I know you or, or maybe I don't and only think that you understand me or maybe I know that you are the only one who can help me. Something deep, deep inside tells me that maybe…" Cynder sighed " I don't know, forget that I said anything. It has to be kinda creepy anyway to know that a murderer is interested in you" she emitted a stifled giggle

" Firstly, you are no murderer, secondly, your interest isn't troubling me at all, in fact I'm quite flattered, in my age it's really difficult to experience any kind of attraction"

Bothe females began to laugh heartily, it was something new for Cynder, it was a very pleasant feeling to laugh with someone outside of her limited group of friends. Cynder was filled with that awkward feeling, just like she just found something she has been looking for a very long time.

Cynder coughed and calmed herself " Tell me Amela, have we met?"

"No" the cheetah responded quickly with a raspy voice before she cleared her throat " No Sweetheart, when you visited me with Spyro some days ago it was the first time I laid eyes on you"

" Oh well" Cynder shrugged " Just an another argument that I'm crazy. Nothing to worry about " she replied with her typical cheerful sarcastic tone

The cheetah narrowed her cunning eyes " Another one? Perhaps you'd be willing to tell me about the first one?"

Cynder winced as she realized that she said one word too much " Umm… there is nothing to talk about really"

" Remember Sweetheart that you came here looking for help. I won't be able to assist you if you won't tell me what's going on"

She sighed, the healer was right, hiding the truth makes no sense, she is already here after all " I have nightmares Amela and not the ones that wake you up in the middle of the night so you might forget about them and fall asleep again. The ones I have feel really and I mean really real, just like I would be looking through somebody's else eyes…my eyes" her voice trailed off

Amela leaned closer " Keep going Sweetheart"

" I kill people there, lots and lots of people. I watch them die by my paws and that's not the worst thing, when I wake up my muscles are sore. I can taste their flesh and blood inside my mouth, it's horrible."

" Don't take other people words to you heart, you already feel guilty, don't let them mess with your head"

Cynder took a deep breath " That was my first thought, that I'm too hard on myself, but when I think of it I've always felt guilty from the moment Spyro saved my life I blamed myself for everything and from that moment forth people constantly taunted me but I've never had bad dreams about it, at least not ones from which I couldn't wake up. I think it's something else, I think that I'm seeing glimpses of my past… I think that I'm beginning to remember things and it really scares me"

Amela kept observing the dragoness with concerned eyes " Don't think about your past, you are not the same Cynder that you were under Malefor's cruel paw. Even if the dreams feel real they are still only dreams, don't forget that."

" I've tried, I really tried to ignore it but I just can't" Cynder sighed in defeat and swallowed " Whenever I'm dreaming I feel…happy, I just love to watch the eyes of my enemies when I rip their throats, I can't stop smiling when I butcher all of the village's inhabitants. Who the hell does something like that? It's creeping me out, I just can't stop but to think that I've never been corrupted in the first place, it was me back then, not Malefor's influence, and now my memories are returning after when Spyro put me into an amnesia" she said with palpable fear in her voice

Amela snapped her fingers unexpectedly which forced a startled gasp from the dragoness" Enough!" the cheetah admonished her " You are no the Cynder from your dreams, no amnesia is capable of blocking completely a person's personality. Believe me, I've been walking this world for many years and I never met anyone like that"

Amela's expression once again changed to that of a caring mother " Sweetheart you have a good heart, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. An evil dragon wouldn't be capable of showing such care for your friends, amnesia taints one's mind but not soul"

Cynder sobbed and a tear feel down from her emerald orb, she quickly rubbed her eyes " Look what you have done" she emitted a sobbing giggle " I'm crying like a little baby"

The cheetah hugged the dragoness " There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love" she whispered tenderly " As you can see Sweetheart there is absolutely no possibility that you could be dragoness you were out of your own free will"

The cheetah's words lifted Cynder's spirit up " And I wanted to avoid you when Spyro dragged me here" she laughed " Look just how stupid someone can be"

Amela broke their embrace and giggled " I don't blame you, just look at me, I'm not the most healthy and good looking cheetah here"

Once again both females laughed heartily

" I don't want to bore you " Cynder said after a while " but since we are on a streak can I tell the rest of my story?"

Amela smiled kindly " Sweetheart that's why I'm here for"

" Here goes" the dragoness took a deep breath " Nightmares are terrifying but the thing that happens just when I'm about to wake up or after I open my eyes is even more so. Every time I dream there is that dragon there, he…"

She swallowed "…he looks like Spyro but his body is completely torn, his scales are ripped apart and bleeding wounds cover his entire flesh. However his eyes are different, instead of his amethyst ones the Spyro in my dreams has brown eyes" she rubbed her neck and swallowed once again " Whe…whenever my nightmare is about to end he is there and every single time he reaches for my throat with his teeth, that's when I wake up"

Amela leaned back in the chair and crossed her fingers on her stomach " I believe that this is no coincidence that you see someone very close to you, I think that ghosts of the past haunt you, not literally of course, a guilty heart can play tricks on you. As every living creature we have a conscience and you Sweetheart are putting your own constantly to a test, that's why I believe that it takes the form of Spyro to taunt you, remind you of your wrongdoings."

The cheetah scratched her ear thoughtfully " The devils is in the details" she muttered to herself before clapping her hands " I know! Sweetheart focus and tell me, in your dreams was there a dragon who swore vengeance upon you? Brown eyes will be his identification mark"

Cynder scratched her choker, her mind traveling back, sorting through every dream she had looking for the dragon the healer mentioned. After a moment of silent concentration Cynder's eyes shot wide open.

" There was a dragon like the one you mentioned in one of my nightmares. I remember that I've ordered my men to slaughter an entire village, during that attack I've met him, he was barely alive guarding his fallen mate. Before he made a last attempt to strike me down which turned out to be a suicide in fact he cursed me, like you said he swore vengeance. Not…not to mention that I also butchered his son later that night" Cynder shivered

Amela nodded sullenly " That explains everything, we as a mortal and emotional creatures tend to think about the past, our deeds and the like. Sometimes involuntary we rub salt into a wound that we would want healed, it's especially uncomfortable when our contemplation triggers guilt, depression or sadness, as in your case Sweetheart"

She offered a kind smile " All these emotions wrapped themselves around that dragon image from your dream and unfortunately we are weak creatures, if our heart is already heavy with guilt then the past adds to that burden even further. I think that's why you are seeing that Spyro with brown eyes, the dragons words embed inside your mind that's why the guilt takes the form of that Spyro, your closest companion to torment you further, so your heart can now the pain of that dragon after he lost his loved ones. It's crucial that you let the past go Sweetheart, you won't be able to bare it, trust me"

Cynder sighed sadly " Perhaps you are right but I'm not quite sure that is the case, I would be convinced if not for the hallucinations"

The cheetah arched an eyebrow " Hallucinations?"

The black dragoness nodded " After I wake up and finally shake off the dread sometimes I see strange things, some creatures to be precise. They look like shadows and…" she shook her head after a while of silence " I don't know how to describe them, anyway every time it happens I feel that scary and somehow addictive influence filling me or it might be that my stomach only curled from all these weird things. Hard to tell when you are crazy I suppose"

" Disturbing" Amela huffed concerned " A tired mind tends to play tricks on you, but to that point? Strange" the cheetah slapped her hands on her knees as she raised from the chair " Ok Sweetheart you convinced me I'll give you the medicine but not the one you asked for, I'll offer you something less dangerous" with that the cheetah went to the medicine cabinet near her desk just to return with a pouch that contained a flask with a brown root in it " Here, mandrake mixed with rosemary, the aroma will allow you to drift away into a pleasant sleep, just uncork the flask and heat it a little"

" Cynder eagerly accepted the medicine " Thank you Amela" she smiled gratefully

" One last thing Sweetheart " the cheetah sat on the chair once again " My opinion is based solely on the medical point of view, I may be wrong if magic is involved, I'm no expert in that field. If that would be the case I suggest filling Spyro in"

" I'm sure you are right" the dragoness responded without thinking and prepared to get off the bed

Amela placed her hand on Cynder's shoulder holding her in place " Heed my warning, tell your friend about everything"

She lowered her head " I can't"

" He might be able to help"

Cynder took a deep breath " I don't want to drag Spyro into this because he will turn the world upside down just to find a way to help me. We are both aware how people treat me, I don't want him to get involved, he might ruin everything just to protect me." She looked at the cheetah with pleading eyes " Please Amela don't tell him, I don't want to make his life miserable"

Amela released her shoulder and nodded " If that's your wish I'll respect it"

The dragoness smiled " Thanks" she hung the pouch around her neck and jumped from the bed " And thank you for hearing me out, I really needed that"

The cheetah smiled kindly " It was my pleasure"

Cynder scratched her choker nervously " Can I…can I come here sometimes to talk? If that's not too much to ask of course"

The smile on Amela's face grew wider " You are always welcome here Sweetheart"

"Great!" she exclaimed and bit her lip soon after " I mean, goodbye and thank you once again " she bowed

The cheetah chuckled " Take care"

Cynder left the office and looked around the corridor for her friends, she arched an eyebrow when she saw Spyro and Sparx holding a pair of burning pants on some sort of a stick. The moment they heard the door closing they turned their heads in the direction from which the sound came from, when they noticed the black dragoness staring at them they froze

" Should I ask?" Cynder asked dumbfounded

" I would prefer not" Spyro replied

* * *

They left the hospital and the moment fresh air hit her snout Cynder took a deep breath filling her lungs with the refreshing chill. She felt better after sharing her worries with someone, her heart was somewhat lighter than before, it was a really nice feeling.

"What's in that bag?" Sparx asked

"It's a pouch" Cynder corrected him with a bit of amusement in her voice

He sighed and rolled his eyes "Fine, so what's in that pouch?"

"That's none of your business" she smirked

The dragonfly growled " Spyro punch her!"

She giggled

Spyro tilted his head a bit and focused " Can you hear that?"

The group began to listen intently, the sound of many different voices was coming from ahead, just like there would be quite a big crowd gathered somewhere. Just as they began making their way towards the noise the sound instantly died down, only one barely hearable voice resounded through the streets. When they reached the fountain everything became clear, near the temple a crowd of people gathered, not to mention that the main road to the holy building was blocked, the voice was louder but it was still impossible to make out any words.

Driven by curiosity the group took one of the side alleys that was still under reconstruction to reach the temple, their wings allowed them to land in a pretty clear and desolated road. As they made their way through one of them the crowd suddenly yelled in approval and a loud applause could be heard soon after. During that applause they rounded the corner and set their eyes upon the inhabitant who was giving the speech, he was standing on a pedestal nodding his head slowly, Spyro eyes flared up with anger when he realized that the mole who is giving the speech is no one else then Brill himself, in the front row stood a powerfully built malachite dragon.

The mole extended his arms with his palms opened, calming the loud crowd as a result " My friends, my heart beats with joy when I see that nothing has changed, that you still value that what is important, that what is sacred. I rejoice when I see that you haven't changed" he bowed solemnly accompanied by the sound of some happy shouts from the crowd " Nothing could be done without you, thank you!" he yelled at the top of his lungs

The mob began to cheer once more, and as they did so the main actor began to clap his hands, thanking his audience for the reaction. The malachite drake turned his head around to observe his neighbors faces, they were all committed to the cause and as his head kept turning he finally noticed a black snout protruding from one of the side alleys. As feeling his gaze, the black dragoness impulsively looked at him and the moment their eyes met the male dragon grinned evilly.

Capro's expression turned quickly into that of an oblivious peasant as he looked at the mole on the pedestal " Tell us Sir, what you are plans? How can we help?"

The crowd stirred at the questions and went silent instantly as every mole, cheetah or dragon waited in anticipation for their leader's response. Brill raised his head with an angry frown on his face

" What I saw here my friends is an outrage! A sacrilege!" he yelled and stepped aside gesturing at the temple behind him " The most sacred of places defiled like that, we built it with our own hands to honor those who deserved it the most and today it stands defiled!" the mole looked at the crowd with a painful expression " This is our heart friends and it bleeds, bleeds with a tainted blood, someone carved a name of the one who should have been long forgotten, it's a disgrace for us and everything this city stands for. Tell me friends, for this I gave my life for?! For this we spilled our blood?! Tell me friends!" he shouted at the top of his lungs

A loud sound of disapproval broke from the crowd

Brill squeezed his shirt exactly in the place where his heart was just like he tried to clutch the vital organ " The Ancestors are in pain, that's why they brought me back, to help them. I won't be able to do it alone, only together" he clenched his fist with determination" we are strong enough to squeeze the poison out from the heart" he pointed at the sky " They are watching us right now, our loved ones, the venerable dragons are observing us and are asking for our help. Look at them"

Every male and female rose their head and looked at the azure sky above

Brill's extended finger shook slightly " Will you tell them that everything is alright? Or will you tell them that you will help? Everything…" the mole raised his voice gaining again the attention of the crowd "…everything happens for a reason. I've been sent back to show you the right path and with the blessing from our Ancestors help you to remain on that path. Only together we will be able to cleanse the taint, together my friends we will face the corruption and achieve victory!" he yelled

The mob once again cheered and cried motivated, just like soldiers on a battlefield

Brill slammed his fist against his opened palm " With the blessing from above we will start today! Today we are going to root out the taint from the very heart, today we start to fulfill the Ancestors wish! Let there be peace once again!"

Capro stood there in the front row amongst the cheering crowd, the corner of his mouth turned into a smirk when once again he looked at the group of friends hiding in the alleyway, he especially focused on the furious looking purple snout. Adopting the oblivious and angry look he focused his gaze upon the main actor of this show " Who defiled this sacred place? Who committed such a crime?" the malachite dragon's questions resounded like a thunder

The crowd took the bait, it instantly turned into some sort of a lynch mob, people were screaming for answers, they demanded to know the name of the culprit who succumbed to the taint as they called it

Brill frowned " The ones touched by darkness are cowards, they are afraid to face the truth, but it's not their fault, it's the poison that corrupted them, they are lost." He threw his arms aside " If you are among us, step up! I will show you the path, I will clean you from the taint! I will grant you the courage to face the corruption. Step up!"

Cynder grabbed her friend purple tail " Spyro don't!"

" I'm not going to stay here and watch" he replied fully focused on the mole, anger and hate clearly palpable in his voice

She threw the malachite dragon a quick glance" He is provoking you!"

" I'm not going to let them insult you" he looked at her, his amethyst eyes were burning furiously at the sight of the speaking mole

Sparx hovered in between both dragons " Bro, I agree with her, just look at the guy, let's just leave the crazy ones alone I'm sure he'll be hoarse soon enough"

" If you don't want to go then stay here" Spyro retorted icily

" You know I've got your back I just whine a lot " he cracked his knuckles " Let's show the zombie who's boss"

Seeing his determined eyes staring at her Cynder reluctantly let his tail go, the moment he was free he instantly went towards the pedestal, it will bring nothing but more trouble. She sighed

Sparx hovered at the side of her head and covered his mouth with his hand " When Spyro is acting like that he surely beats you, and here I thought that you are the most crazy dragon I've ever met, but don't tell anyone, we don't want to get on his bad side after all" he took a deep breath " Alright, to battle!"

Brill clenched his fist " My friends, this is the time to change-"

" I carved that name and I'm proud of it" Spyro cut off the mole as he stepped up in the open

The crowd gasped and held its breath, two symbols of power and authority stood before them, two symbols who differed from one another. It was like a clash of legends for the people, on one side was the inventor, the constructor, the forger of better and more secure times, on the other one was the savior, the hope, the golden heart of the todays Realms, their future leader. Capro however didn't feel attached to any of them, he just smirked knowing that his little provocation is working.

" This temple was built for those who exceeded everyone's expectations and did something great for the world. Did you forget its purpose?" Spyro asked, his claws scratching the marble floor in anger

Brill seemed to be shocked " You want to say" he gesticulated towards the crowd " You want to say that all of these people here who created statues for those who deserved it, that they are wrong, that they are liars?!"

Spyro shook his head " I didn't say that, I want to show you that Cynder deserves this honor more than me, you have no right to insult her" he growled

" You have no right to call these people slanderers boy!" the mole admonished him fiercely " We are fighting for that what is important, for the sacredness of this place. This temple can't be tainted by that foul presence, it is a disgrace for us and those who are the essence of this structure" he narrowed his eyes on the purple dragon " Tell me boy, who is insulting who?"

"Can't you see?" Spyro asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice " If not for Cynder there would be no temple, there would be no Warfang, there would be nothing!"

Brill clenched his fist in anger " You are calling this people blind?" he unclenched his hand and pointed at the crowd " These people gathered here, constructed this temple with their own hands and paws, and you boy are judging their faith? Show respect" he admonished him

" Bro" Sparx whispered when he hovered near the dragon's head " This zombie guy is playing dirty, he is turning your every word against you. Watch out"

Brill's expression turned to that of sadness " You are today's incarnation of draconic strength and wit, you are a being to worship but unfortunately you are lost" he turned to the crowd " This shows us my friends…" he shouted while pointing at Spyro "…that the poison in all its cowardice is powerful, it confuses even the purest of us!"

" What are you talking about?" Spyro blurt out indignantly " I don't want to be worshipped and for sure I'm not tainted, I'm just showing you the truth"

Sparx rose in the air making himself clearly visible to the crowd " On the side note I have no objections about being worshipped, if you want to talk about details I'm in my room at the City Hall almost every evening. Thank you for your time, I'm shutting up now" he descended towards his brother and shrugged when his noticed his amethyst stare " Worth a shot"

" We can't stand idle and watch how the darkness slowly consumes us" The moles voice gained again everyone's attention " In my death I've seen what it is capable of, we cannot allow it to spread, we have to destroy it! Cleanse it from our life, we all can see how the taint works on us " he pointed once again at Spyro " This boy speaks blasphemy and even committed sacrilege! He who is the symbol of the draconic race" the crowd visibly stirred hearing his words. Brill instantly raised his hands to calm the mob " But this isn't his fault! It's the corruption, it plays with us, confuses us and our best defense against it is a counter attack, we have to strike it and kill it before it will infect the rest of us!"

Spyros eyes sparkled with sheer hatred " If I am the symbol of the draconic kind, if I am the being to worship then perhaps allow the people to decide if I am infected with that so called poison? Or are you implying that they don't have a mind of their own?" With a delicate smirk he turned to the crowd " When I stand before you right now do you see that I'm tainted?" before the crowd could utter a sound Spyro continued " Or better, tell me when the corruption managed to get a hold of me. Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we defended Warfang during the siege? Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we stalled The Destroyer? Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we stopped Malefor?" he shrugged " Tell me when it happened because I really don't know"

Sparx hovered in front of his brother's eyes and rose up two of his thumbs in approval " Nice" he whispered

Capro observed and listened to the reaction of the crowd and from what he could tell it wasn't going exactly as he has planned. People respected the purple dragon to the point where they've cast the religious devotion aside, that's why they are hesitant. Different murmurs reached him, one supported the purple drake, other followed the mole. The crowd was divided, it is the worst possible outcome, in times like this he needs unity otherwise his plan will fall flat.

However nothing is lost yet, there is still a chance to turn the tide, he only needs a scapegoat and luckily there is somebody who will fit into that role perfectly. Religion is a touchy subject one can possible trigger hate and change someone's point of focus with ease is he is a skilled speaker. Brill is capable of doing such a thing, what he needs is a little nudge and slowly, step by step she will pay for everything.

Capro pointed at the side alley with his claw from which a black snout was peeking " Defiler! She is here!" he screamed like a terrified peasant.

The dumbfounded and religious crowd began to stir, as people around him started to shout and scream Capro couldn't stop smiling.

Brill pointed at the alley while looking at the fidgety mob " This is what I was talking about! The taint is always there, stalking us, confusing us!" he looked at the alley " Step in the open Shadow!" he shouted with a commanding tone " Stop hiding and face us coward!"

Sparx winced " This can't be good" he mumbled

The moment Cynder left the safety of the alley and stepped in the open, the crowd became even more louder, fingers and claws were pointing at her, accusations, insults, threats for the defiling their temple were thrown at her. The devoted mob found their scapegoat, found the reason behind their misfortune, from somewhat calm listeners they became a chaotic crowd unable to see reason, the people became aggressive even

The leading mole kept pointing at the black dragoness " You see my friends that we can't feel safe, the darkness is there always! Whispering to our ears, sowing doubt within us until we succumb to it. She my friends, she is The Taint itself!" he shouted which only aroused the already loud mob even more

" Weren't you listening to me?!" Spyro roared angrily " Didn't I just tell you that she helped me? Didn't I just tell you that she saved all of us?!"

Spyro's words had no effect, the zealot crowd ignored him completely however Brill seemed to enjoy this atmosphere, he was happy as a clam " We don't know what is she planning, the constant plotting confuses even the most witty mind, what seems good at first glance brings dramatic effects later on" he pointed at the temple behind them " Tell me friends isn't this enough proof? The most sacred place defiled with the name that should be forgotten, erased completely from history!"

" Cynder deserves as much respect as every single one of us!"

The crowd once again ignored the purple dragon, they were entirely focused on Cynder and their leader. Brill didn't waste the opportunity and continued his charade " In my death I've experienced what Shadow is capable of, we failed because we allowed her vile infection to spread!" he clenched his fist again " My friends, the corruption has already started and it's up to us to eliminate it while it's weak!"

The crowd emitted a deafening war cry " We will protect ourselves and our sacred Ancestors!" the mole shouted once more accompanied by the cacophony coming from the snappy mob. Brill rose his arm into the air " We will cleanse the taint! Shadow won't triumph!"

Cynder only stood there shocked and hurt, insults, threats and many other unpleasant words were thrown her way, blaming her for everything. Suddenly out of nowhere a small rock was thrown at her which struck her right in the head. Cynder had enough, she couldn't stand it any longer, when a drop of her blood splashed on the ground she ran back into the alley, but even when she disappeared from the angry mob eyes the insults didn't stop.

Sparx noticed her reaction while Spyro was entirely focused on the fanatical crowd. The moment her black tail vanished from his sight Sparx turned around and tugged his brother's horn " Spyro let's get out of here"

The purple dragon was unmoved by his brothers pleas, his whole anger was directed at the unfair crowd " You can't judge Cynder for actions she couldn't control!" Spyro roared " She saved your lives by putting her own at risk, doesn't it mean anything to you?!"

The mob ignored Spyro completely, their loud cries were probably heard in the whole city, not to mention that Brill with his constant incitement didn't allow the people to calm down. Capro seeing what is going on left the courtyard with a wicked grin on his snout. The shouts and screams continued until two powerful gusts of wind managed to silence the mob. Two Guardians landed in front of the people, earth and ice parted the two sides of the conflict

" ENOUGH!" Terrador's baritone roar quieted the mob instantly

" Return to your homes people, there is nothing to see here" the firm tone of his voice left no place to argue so the mob was slowly beginning to thin

" HOW DARE YOU?" Cyril roared at the mole

Brill narrowed his eyes on the Ice Guardian " Cyril you were always ungrateful for what I have done for your kind"

The dragon snorted, icy mist excaped his from his nostrils " We never asked for your help, mole"

The mole shook his head " Cyril, oh Cyril you are to pride and arrogant to admit…" the mole's voice trailed off since instantly Sparx lost interest in the argument. Impulsively he looked behind him at the empty alley, soon he looked once again at the arguing group, Spyro joined the group but somehow he was still uninterested in this whole affair.

Making up his mind he flew into the alley, Sparx didn't go far before he spotted her, she was leaned against a wall in a sitting position while covering herself with her black wings " The party is getting more interesting and you decide to leave. Great timing" Sparx said with his typical sarcastic manner as he approached her

Cynder folded her wings " Sparx?" she said surprised " What are you doing here?

" Couldn't waste the chance to annoy you further" he grinned but the moment she looked at him his smile vanished, the dragonfly noticed some wet spots on her cheeks and around her eyes. He balked at the sight " Were you crying?"

"What?" she blurt out nervously " No!" Cynder exclaimed and began rubbing her emerald orbs " Something…something got into my eyes"

" Yeah…" he admitted with a hint of uncertainty, even if he knew the truth ' …yeah I hear you, it's those cheetahs with their sticky fur, dusts get everywhere" he began to rub his eyes " Even now my eyes sting. Damn cats"

'Yeah it's the dust!" she exclaimed nervously " Damn thing is everywhere, even here" she emitted a stifled giggle

" Needed a break from all that praising huh?" Sparx asked with a smile after a while

Cynder recognized the tone of his voice " Yeah, fame is overwhelming" she replied sarcastically

" I wouldn't know" he answered bluntly

Cynder laughed " Not surprising you are an insect after all" she gave him a teasing smile

" Said the fat lizard" Sparx retorted with a scornful smile of his own.

They both laughed from their innocent teases, after a while the alley grew silent. Sparx nodded towards the exit " Let's go to Spyro, your fans are gone"

Cynder after a brief moment of concentration got up and followed the dragonfly

" How could you let this happen?!" Spyro shouted angrily at the Guardians

" Spyro calm down" Terrador replied leisurely

" You promised me that Cynder would be safe!"

"I've never said such a thing" Cyril responded icily

" We are doing our best Spyro, but unfortunately we have to also somehow calm down Brill's fanatical group" the Earth Guardian added

" If they want this temple so badly let them have it" the Ice Guardian rolled his eyes in irritation " Let them renovate it as they see fit, anything to keep them busy"

Terrador nodded " We will discuss this matter at a better time, for now please Spyro and the rest of you come with us to the City Hall, Hunter's birds have returned with news, Volteer is perusing through them as we speak"

* * *

" Most of these reports are frivolous, they don't beseech our instantaneous absorption, however there is one that piqued my inquisitiveness" with that the Electric Guardian picked a rolled parchment from the pile of papers scatter about on the table and gave it to the Earth Guardian

Terrador snatched the paper eagerly and began to read through it instantly " There was an unusual sighting at one of the southern villages. A strange crumbled structure appeared in the valley which was abandoned for years. More and more children went there and upon their return they've told tales about ghosts and wisps floating somewhere around there. However when the village sent scouts there they haven't encountered anything like that, probably just childish imagination, but the structure the children were talking about was there. The village Elder also mentions that it may be nothing, no one ventured into that valley for years, it is possible that the crumbled structure is a remnant from the war so it is very likely that the building was always there"

Terrador folded the paper " It may be nothing but I believe it is still worth taking a look, after the recent events I'm about to believe in everything" he looked at the three friends " Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, I want you to investigate into this matter"

Spyro was about to protest but Cyril cut him off " We will try to sort things out here and honestly it would be much easier without you three constantly reminding people the latest unfortunate moments" the Ice Guardian stated with his typical cold tone

" I agree with Cyril" The Earth Guardian replied calmly " It would be for the best if you left the city for a while"

Spyro fought with his thoughts, part of him wanted to stay and shatter Brill's fanatical ideas, the other part however warned him that messing with political matters would bring more harm than good, maybe it was for the best to let things calm down on their own.

Spyro sighed " How can we get there?"

" My falcon can show you the way" Hunter tenderly scratched the birds head, the animal on his shoulder responded with a delicate purr

" It is settled then" Terrador acknowledged obviously relieved that the purple dragon agreed to take part in this mission " Best of luck to you" he smiled

With that the group left the City Hall, the recent events troubled Spyro greatly, but for the time being he decided to focus entirely on the matter at hand. It didn't really help his mood, his worst worries are coming true after all. There are more veils it seems which may bring even more trouble because who knows what was buried below the sand of time. Whatever it was Spyro only hoped that his instinct was wrong, maybe this time is is only a simple misgiving, how he wanted it to be that way. One can only hope.


	20. Chapter 2 Book II

Chapter 2

The sun was perched high in the air as they left the Dragon City behind them, the not exactly hot weather and a soft breeze made flying a very pleasurable moment. It would be even better for Spyro if he would stop hassling himself about the past events. A turmoil was going on in his mind, he tried to change the point of focus on something more enjoyable but he couldn't do it, he was constantly thinking about Cynder, he blamed himself for not asking her what she felt, not paying any attention to her when she needed it, instead he focused all of his anger on the mole and his followers.

Every now and then he looked behind his shoulder, not far away from the swaying tip of his tail he saw Cynder, and every time she noticed him looking at her she arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Spyro's heart was aching, he thought he was doing the right thing but now it felt wrong, he didn't know if he should ask or not, he wanted to know, he wanted to apologize for ignoring her, after all they were flying for a while and no one of them said a single word, even Sparx remained silent.

On the other hand he didn't want to bring it up again, even if she puts up on a brave face he knew that this whole situation is uncomfortable for her at least, he blamed himself for not consoling his best friends after that accident at the temple, anger and hate for the mole made him forget completely about her. Only thinking about it made his heart pump blood faster, he couldn't understand how people can be so blind, do they really don't see that in every action she tries to achieve personal redemption for a thing that in his opinion she wasn't responsible for?

Spyro turned his head and looked at her once again, this time however Cynder didn't seem to be surprised, just like she expected it. One look at her was enough to quell the anger within him, pity guilt and concern took its place. He couldn't leave it like this, he has to make up for his mistake. Spyro slowed his pace, the soft breeze stopped whistling as he flapped his wings slower and slower with each second. He waited for her and it didn't take long before Cynder appeared right next to him, and only then he sped up to keep pace with her.

" Cynder…" Spyro whispered bashfully

" I know" she replied softly

He smiled, but then his head hung down once more " I don't understand how can they treat you like that"

" They have all the right to do so"

" No they don't!" he snapped at her which made Cynder jerk her head back a little. He felt ashamed after realizing how he reacted " Sorry it's just that…" he lowered his head and clenched his paw into a fist" I can't help it, I'm so angry right now, at the Guardians, Brill, on all those people. It isn't right"

" That's not their fault" Cynder replied tenderly but yet with a soft touch of command in her voice " People hate me and I don't blame them for that, I have to redeem myself and it takes time they won't forget about everything in a day or two. Please Spyro give them time, give me time"

" I can't stand back and watch when they insult and threat you"

" You will have to" she smiled " I know you would want to help me but this is not your fight Spyro" she looked at him with pleading eyes " We had this talk already, please respect my wish Spyro and let me handle this myself"

He looked at her, determination burning in his eyes " I've already told you that your troubles and worries come first. Sorry Cynder but you have a friend now and he won't leave you because he gave you his word that he will stand by you. Live with it"

" Then tell my friend that he acts like a stubborn child" she snarled

" You do the same" he retorted with the same tone

Spyro could see her mouth twitching, however no words came out, after a while she bit her lower lip and averted her gaze " Just how are you going to help me my oh stubborn friend?" Cynder asked with a faked awe in her voice

" Whatever is necessary, I'll do everything for you Cynder, that I can swear" Spyro replied with palpable confidence

Cynder's heart jumped in joy, it felt like never before, just like her heart was pulled from a very long depression. She knew she can count on him but hearing him saying it out loud after the recent events made her shiver. Trust, perhaps a trivial thing for somebody else but for her it was as important as air for lungs, and hearing Spyro's words only helped her to realize even more how a precious friend he is and how is she grateful for his golden heart.

This simple words lifted her spirits up instantly, as far as she thankful for his caring attention she couldn't allow Spyro to be dragged into her own mess, the recent events showed her that he won't stop at nothing to help her. She wouldn't forgive herself if she would ruin her friend's reputation, life, only because of her past actions for which she has solely pay, it is doubtful he will understand this but she has to try.

Cynder arched an eyebrow " Everything you say?"

" Everything" he replied confidently

" Alright my knight if you say so" Cynder began to scratch her choker and pretended she was thinking " What can I possibly want hmm…? I know!" she exclaimed, Spyro at sound of her shout jerked a little, she pointed her claw at him " I don't want you to stand in my defense every time people start to blame me"

" Wha…" Spyro's voice trailed off as realization struck him, he understood his mistake and she used it against him, maybe this will teach him a lesson that sometimes he should hold his tongue or else say one word too many

" Remember that you made a promise" Cynder teased him

He is not the one who breaks a promise but there is an exception to every rule they say, she doesn't have to know about it " Fine" Spyro replied half-heartedly " I'll stay out of it"

" Thanks!" Cynder exclaimed happily " I knew you would do the right thing. Thanks again "

Spyro only gave her a weak and not a very reassuring smile before he focused on the falcon in front of them.

The moment he turned his head Cynder smile disappeared, she has seen through his poor attempt of deception " Liar" she muttered.

Sparx soon approached the two dragons from ahead , just like he felt the mood had changed and the awkward silence was gone " You two finally remembered how to speak? Good, check this out" he presented them a brown feather

" A feather?" Spyro asked baffled

" Yeah bro, plucked it from that guy" the dragonfly pointed at the bird ahead " Dude you know what a plucked feather from a still flying bird can do?" Sparx asked excited

Spyro shrugged " Nothing?"

The dragonfly snorted " Nothing? Nothing? NOTHING?!" he shook his head and waved the feather in front of his brother " This baby makes your eyes all big and sharp, with this you'll be able to see even the smallest junk!"

" Then I suppose we would need lots of these to be able to see yours" Cynder teased with a clear amusement in her voice

Spyro accidently spit on his brother as he burst out laughing

" Hey, hey, hey!" Sparx exclaimed indignantly while he wiped the spit from his face and pointed an angry finger at the black dragoness " There are some things that we don't joke about!" he shouted abusively

Cynder put on a faked surprised expression " Who said I was joking?"

Her words triggered even a more hysterical laugh from Spyro

Sparx frowned " What are you laughing at? Don't forget that we are related!"

This time Cynder began to laugh while the joyful smile vanished from Spyro's snout " So what?" he asked with a wavering voice

" Bad blood runs in the family dude" the dragonfly whispered, almost threateningly

Cynder laughed even harder as she observed Spyro's changing expression, first he showed signs of disbelief but later his snout indicated symptoms of a sincere dread and she just couldn't stop laughing

" I don't understand" Cynder mumbled when she calmed herself a little " Why guys are so touchy about this thing?" she giggled

" No wonder you are single" Sparx replied bluntly

All three of them laughed " Enough!" Spyro exclaimed " Change of subject. Sparx tell us what else this feather can do?"

The dragonfly shook his head confidently " Nu-uh, I'm not telling you anything, you had your chance"

" Come on don't be like that"

" The feather's special abilities will remain a secret, only I know about them. Your loss"

" Honestly Sparx I'm too old to believe in your stories anyway" the purple dragon said sincerely

" You are no fun anymore" Sparx said with a hint of resignation in his voice

Not everyone was interested in their conversation. The brownish falcon which led them was entirely focused on the task at hand, every now and then the avian creature moved its head from left to right just to eventually look down as if searching for something or making sure they were heading the right way. How did Hunter managed to train those birds like that was a mystery but whatever secret he was keeping was paying off.

As they flew the falcon emitted the typical somewhat shrieking sound for their kind as if announcing for those weaker creatures that a new king is in the sky, a warning for those intelligent creatures that they should stay clear of its royal path. The bird emitted another sound and dived towards the earth to the surprise of the three friends, they didn't know what to do, should they follow it? Or wait till it rises to the sky once more?

They didn't really have the time to make up their minds since the answer presented itself before them momentarily. The bird rose to the sky and took the same position in the air as before, it looked behind just if to make sure that its companions are still behind. The falcon parted its beak and emitted a sound almost beaming with arrogance, the avian creature cried once more and rose slightly in the air so the three friends could easily spot the bird's prey clutched in its talons, the little mouse probably didn't even see it coming. The falcon turned its shinning with palpable pride black eyes, emitted another cry that could trigger awe in every spectator before it concentrated on the task at hand again.

Sparx snorted " What a show-off"

" It seems that there may be some truth to those feathers after all" Cynder mused

" I've told you" the dragonfly spread his arms and shrugged somewhat prideful " But as always nobody listens to me"

" Sparx did you say something?" she asked with a faked shock in her voice while the corner of her mouth turned into a small smirk

He frowned " Smart ass" the dragonfly hissed

They followed the bird exchanging teases, jokes or other words between themselves as they traveled through the sky, putting aside all the worries for which Spyro was grateful for. His moment of relief didn't last long since before they knew it the falcon started crying and making circles in the air which only could mean one thing, they have reached their destination. He looked down, it was just as he expected, a small village sprawled below them barely visible thanks to the trees that surrounded it.

One glimpse at it was enough for Spyro to pull back all the worries concerning the veils and this whole time jumping or whatever it is. He felt like he was being drawn into the unknown, into something he might not actually be ready to face just yet and this time he has no one to guide him. All that time ago during Malefor's rise and corrupted Cynder's rule it was Ignitus who showed him the ropes, it was The Fire Guardian who pushed him beyond his previous limits, showed him new possibilities and what's more importantly he carried the problems of tomorrow on his back.

Now all that weight is on his purple shoulders and he feared he won't be able to cope with it. Spyro knew that he can count on his friends, Cynder, Hunter, Sparx or The Guardians will do anything in their power to help him, despite what they would most likely claim they can't lift the weight from his shoulders, they can only make the road a little easier but it is his burden to carry and only his. People expect that he will be their leader, however Spyro couldn't stop thinking what they possibly can see in him

Ok maybe he defeated Malefor, maybe he defeated the corrupted Cynder but people seem to forget that Ignitus roused that confidence in him, confidence that allowed him to do things he never thought he would be able to accomplish. Today nothing remains of that confidence, as he stares at the village Spyro can't feel anything besides doubt and fear, this is the leader they are waiting for? A true leader faces the unknown with his head held up high, ready to challenge every difficulty coming his way. That made him realize once more that he will make a poor leader the things that are about to come only terrified him.

" I just hope that this was a false alarm" Spyro said hopefully yet with fear in his voice

Cynder smiled " How can you lie to yourself like that? I've told you that you are jinxed, you should get used to it" she quipped

He shook his head " I'm not ready for this"

She looked at him, concern burning in her eyes " I've also told you something else remember? I trust you, whatever will happen, whatever choice you will make I will still trust you. It was you Spyro who showed me that you should keep going despite the odds, it was you no one else" as they hovered in the air Cynder grabbed his paw and said in a soft tone " You have what it takes, you just need to dig deep down to find it you know?" she shook his paw "Believe me" she let go of his paw and nodded towards the village " Lead on my leader" she smiled

Spyro lowered his head, her words pushed the right button, she embarrassed him slightly but also triggered a part of that lost confidence back to life. He looked at her and smiled " And you will follow me everywhere?"

Cynder nodded " Even down to the deepest bowels of Hell if need be, but I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't drag me there just now" she winked

Spyro chuckled " There is only one way to find out" with that he made a backflip in the sky and dived towards the village

As she observed him descending towards the small village she couldn't stop smiling, she was so proud of him

The village itself was one of those which you accidently stumble across just to forget about it a day after, no importance or mystery radiated from it, just a simple backwater village living its null life. No walls surrounded the so called town, it was just a place to live for those who wanted a quiet life, or those unfortunate ones who wanted to get away but couldn't force themselves to do it. Enjoyable feelings embraced them which probably beamed from every such village.

Serenity and innocence radiated from the settlement, the tranquility always returned to villages like this no matter if it was disturbed by war or some other domestic dispute, it always found its way home. People living in secluded villages like this one had a rough life but it shaped their resilience, protected them from every days disturbances. Tough life but a fair one.

The village itself would probably be missed by the three friends if it wasn't their destination. No wall surrounded the simple looking buildings, no guards were visible patrolling its dirt roads. It wasn't surprising since villages like this one hardly need trained soldiers, what for? This people have nothing of value, there is no reason to attack such a village, at least no self- respecting army would do such a thing, these people are more than capable of protecting themselves against common marauders, life in the wild prepares you for such outcomes.

The settlement isn't big, only a couple simple looking houses dotted the landscape, some were made of wood with modest porches at the front entrances, some cheetahs or young dragons could be seen relaxing on the house's wooden chairs or floor. Other buildings were made of stone, they weren't big or fancy but they surely accommodate a creature of any size, be it either a dragon or a dragonfly. All of these buildings were packed closely together, forming a circle around the settlement's well. All of these buildings looked alike, it was impossible to discern which one belonged to the village's leader and which one to the everyman.

As the three of them were slowly approaching the village they could see that it was living its own simple life, children were running through its dirt roads playing, some more older inhabitants were chattering with each other, sharing stories and passing on the newest gossip. Some other people were just doing their jobs, tending to the animals or renovating some of the houses while some others listened with great interest to a story from past times recited by one of the oldest inhabitants.

Whatever they may be doing right now doesn't change anything, they have been sent on a mission, a very important mission. If Spyro's worries have any truth to them then this blissful ignorance is going to be stripped from them. Wanting to avoid such a situation the purple dragon decided to find and speak solely with the Elder without attracting much of unwanted attention, things like that should only be discussed in a narrow circle.

As they entered the village shouts of surprise, excitement or even fear echoed throughout the village, people started gathering near their position, it was then when Spyro realized that strangers appearing in this village are a rare sight indeed and strangers who stopped the end of the world even more so.

" So much for discretion" Spyro sighed

Sparx shoved the two dragons aside and appeared between them " Finally someone who recognize a hero when they see one!" he exclaimed joyfully " Ready or not people, here comes your star" with that he dashed towards the gathering of villagers

Cynder shrugged " Not everyone complains" she observed the dragonfly as he was being surrounded by curious children who were intently listening to one of his imaginary accomplishments " At least he found an audience more his age"

Spyro followed her gaze and just chuckled at the sight and her little mean joke.

Not all of the people were really interested in the dragonflies' appearance, even from him Spyro could hear whispers of praise when they were mentioning his name, and murmurs hinted with distrust and despisal when Cynder's name or nickname ran through the people mouths. Only hearing such whispers reminded him of the situation at the temple, he had to scratch the dirt with his claws to somehow keep his boiling anger in check.

Soon from the group of people emerged a shriveled old dragon, just the one they saw telling stories to the children when they took a glimpse of the village for the first time. The dragon was old, very old, his scales were cracked in many places, his leathery armor lost the sharp color of the youth instead taking a dull hue, a more appropriate color for one of his age. Judging from the faint patches of green on his scales they could tell that he commanded the element of Earth. His brown wings were tattered, it was obvious he had no use of them now, it was unlikely they would hold his weight anymore. The dragon lived his life fully, that somehow triggered an instant respect in the two young dragons, in a war like specie like the dragons it is very rare to see someone who managed to stay alive for such a long time, almost reaching the end of his days without anyone _assisting_ on the way so he could reach the end of his journey a little faster than he planned.

The wizened old dragon trudged towards the two of them, it almost looked like his every step was a great effort for him. It didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, as he got close he started to smile kindly showing many blunt and cracked teeth.

" It pleases me greatly to see that the venerable Guardians heed my message" the dragon pronounced each word slowly with a weak and raspy voice " But to see that they sent someone of your stature…" the dragon's voice trailed off as he bowed respectfully " You humble us with your presence Savior"

" No, no, no, no " Spyro repeated quickly and apprehensively " There is no need for that" he smiled weakly and nervously " Just… just call me Spyro, no need to bow or anything like that" he chuckled uneasily

The elderly dragon nodded kindly and his eyes shimmered with sincere awe " It pleases me greatly to see that tales of your unique modesty weren't overestimated." The dragon cleared his throat and adopted a more solemn pose " My name is Cyren, I'm the Elder of this sober village. On behalf of all its people I greet you in Boven"

Spyro nodded solemnly " The pleasure is ours"

The old dragon jerked his head back startled " Please forgive me, I haven't noticed that you brought your friend with you, these eyes aren't as good as they used to be" he smiled kindly " Who is the one that travels with you?"

There was a slight stir amongst the people of Boven and it didn't escape Spyro's notice, he frowned uneasily expecting the worst. It surprised him however to see his friend completely calm, she seemed entirely unmoved by the situation.

" The name's Cynder" she replied confidently

Cyren's eyes shot wide open " Lightbane?!" he exclaimed and looked around the village in panic as if looking for support before he concentrated on the female " You are not wel…why have you…what are you…" he mumbled edgily

She craned her neck forward " Is something wrong?" Cynder asked almost mockingly

" Of course!" the Elder exclaimed angrily but as soon as he did so his eyes took a glimpse of the purple dragon standing just next to the black dragoness. With that the wizened dragon realized the awkwardness of the situation " Of course not!" he cackled nervously " It is our pleasure to welcome you here Light… Cynder" the dragon said half-heartedly with deception ringing in his raspy voice " Every friend of Spyro is our…friend" the last word came out stifled, as if it was barely formed within the dragon's vocal cords"

She grinned " Why thank you, I never expected such a warm welcome!" Cynder exclaimed cheerfully

Spyro knew her well enough to see that she is being sarcastic, not that she really tried to hide it. " I don't think that taunting them is going help you" he hissed through clenched teeth

" I could try to convince them of my good intentions but it wouldn't work anyway" she replied indifferently

" It's worth a shot"

" Please, they condemned me the moment they saw me, words are pointless here" she smiled mischievously " Good thing that you are here, that way I can watch the stupid looks on their faces without risking my head being impaled on a pike. I swear I heard people sharpening their pitchforks when we got here but with you around they won't touch me and I can have a bit of fun"

Spyro remained silent, it was not like he agreed or accepted what she was doing but he didn't try to stop her either. During his travels he has learnt that sometimes she innocently taunts people, she hates the damsel in distress role and occasionally her fighting spirit takes control and she starts to bark at people. Everyone needs to release the bottled up emotions somehow and maybe this is how she does it, or perhaps her natural maliciousness comes with being a black dragoness, who knows.

" Guys, guys, guys, guys" Sparx repeated the same word excitedly several more times until he finally hovered near the two young dragons " We have just been invited to a party!" he exclaimed happily " They were so interested in my tales and fell for my charm of course that they are going to start a feast in our name. IN OUR NAME!" the dragonfly shouted and his chest swelled with pride " And who is your favorite dragonfly now, huh?"

" A party?!" Cynder exclaimed like an excited teenager " I love parties! The dancing, the music, all these gossip and boys you meet. It's just so exciting!"

The old dragon was taken aback by the sudden outburst of joy from both the dragonfly and the black dragoness " But…"

" And we can't forget about the food!" Cynder continued her ruse " there will be food right? For a party like that there has to be lots and lots of food, am I right, am I right?"

Cyren looked at the group of people who talked with the dragonfly and threw them a accusing glance, they just shrugged apologetically. He turned back towards the three presumably invited friends " You misunderstood…" he started uncertainty but once again has been cut off by Cynder

" I would have nothing against a party that is a bit on the sophisticated side but truthfully I myself like something WILD. You know the thing when a fast music is being played and you do something crazy to its rhythm that would baffle all of the people there and out of politeness they wouldn't try to stop you. How awesome would be THAT!" she grinned evilly

Sparx hovered next to Spyro's head and covered his mouth with his hand " What's wrong with her?" he whispered

Spyro sighed " Don't ask"

Cyren swallowed " You misunderstood our intention" he said bluntly, obviously tired of this charade

Sparx balked " WHAT?"

The Elder bowed apologetically " Please forgive us, we didn't want to confuse you, but this _party_ as you call it is dedicated only to our small community. We would gladly show you our hospitality but sadly the harvest was not as fruitious as we hoped so"

" But…but… " the dragonfly murmured resigned " …they said that we are friends and friends are always welcomed here" he looked at the old dragon sadly

" It is correct, but I'm embarrassed to admit that in their haste they forgot about our problems, it would be our pleasure to invite you, we all are _friends_ here after all" the dragon put emphasis on the word friends and threw a quick full of disdain glance at Cynder

It didn't escape Sparx' notice, he looked at Cynder just to look at the Elder soon after, he instantly put two and two together " At least you tried" he shrugged " because honestly I thought that you wanted to turn us down because there is someone here who you don't like very much" he intently pulled the teeth of the dragon

" Of course not!" Cyren exclaimed with faked indignation " We would never do such a thing, you are all welcome here" his eyes traveled impulsively on the black dragoness " All off you" he hissed before bowing once again apologetically " Forgive us"

Sparx covered his forehead with his palm and sighed " Figures" he began rubbing his forehead " Cynder honestly, get lost" he murmured defeated

She just giggled mischievously

" You're done?" Spyro whispered to his female friend's ear

Cynder grinned while she looked at the old dragon " Yeah"

Spyro exhaled and smiled while he concentrated on the Elder " There is no need to apologize, we understand" he cleared his throat wanting to break this awkward moment " The message you sent to us, could you tell us more about the ruins?"

Cyren looked at the purple dragon, obviously relieved that the topic has changed " I haven't been there myself but as you probably know I've sent some scouts to investigate in case the stories of the children had some truth to them. One can't be too careful, especially when living in a wilderness" the dragon looked at the gathering of people behind him and made a motion with his head that clearly signalized for someone to approach. With that he turned back towards the purple dragon " As I've said, this is probably just a wild fantasy of the youth, children have vivid imaginations"

Soon a young looking drake stopped next to the Elder, he was maybe a year or two older than Spyro and Cynder, judging from the color of his scales he wielded the element of Fire

" Please Lure tell our friend here what you saw" Cyren gently urged the young drake

Sparx frowned and folded his arms " You see how he only talks to Spyro and seems to forget about us?" he whispered

" I've noticed" Cynder replied

" Did I thank you for that already?"

" No, in fact you didn't"

" Oh, so let me correct that. Thank you" he hissed irritated

Cynder giggled " You're welcome"

The young dragon didn't even look at Spyro, his gaze was entirely focused on the ground below, the shuffling of his paw and tail betrayed his shyness and nervousness " As we followed the…the children we eventually a…arrived in a valley. A v…very old building is there Sir, very old and creepy" he swallowed and threw a quick glance at Spyro just to stare at the ground moments later

Spyro smiled " Just call me Spyro" he said calmly " Was this structure always there or it appeared just recently?"

Lure seemed to freeze for a moment, just as he didn't expect such a question, after a while his nervous shuffle returned while his eyes still remained on the ground " I…it's been there for ages I guess… it's very old, remember?"

The purple dragon winced as realization struck him, these people didn't know about the Veils and that whole time business, he could barely wrap his head around it himself. The young dragon is obviously intimidated by his presence and his words most likely baffled the drake even more, probably only the dragon's shyness prevented the young drake from calling him an idiot.

Spyro scratched the back of his head " I mean… did that building, um, caught your attention before?"

Lure kept staring at the ground " No Si…Spyro. Nobody of us ventured that far into the valley, we…we never thought it existed. It looks like a remnant from centuries ago"

Alright, from the dragon's words Spyro could presume that the old building was probably always there, he wasn't even sure if the Veils can even drag whole structures in time, it all smelled like a false alarm but since they are already here they might as well check it out. Not to mention that the ancient building nobody thought ever existed piqued his curiosity, they don't have anything better to do anyway. This pondering made him think about the other part of the message, that part about wisps and the like, a fairytale most likely but there is no harm in asking.

" Your message…" Spyro said after a while of silent thinking "…said something about…ghosts?"

" The children say that they saw something b…but when I've checked there was nothing there. You know how ch…children are Si…Spyro"

" Ok thanks Lure"

The fire dragon bowed and began slowly retracing his steps

" Lure please call the children here" Cyren gave a gently order to the young dragon scout

Spyro cackled nervously, children were not his ground of expertise so to speak " There is no need for that" he said startled

" The children would really like to meet you" the old dragon said almost pleadingly " They would be thrilled to know that someone from outside our humble village is interested in their story"

Spyro gulped, as much as he would want to avoid it, politeness demanded that he speak with them " Very well" he mumbled tentatively

Cynder approached her purple friend seeing his troubled snout " You want me to talk to them?"

His eyes grew wide with hope and relief " Would you do that for me?"

" I'm doing this for the kids" she replied teasingly and sneered

Soon a group of children made themselves visible, there were five of them, three dragon hatchlings and two cheetahs, they are were fairly young and remarkably innocent. The group was approaching the Elder in a cheerful pace, jumping all around the road as they made their way towards the dragon, just like nothing bothered them and no problem existed in the world.

Just as they got close Cyren smiled at them kindly " Children our friend here would want to hear your story"

Cynder stepped in front of Spyro with a smirk on her face " That's right" a surprised gasp coming from the old dragon caught everyone's attention, as soon all eyes were set on him Cyren started coughing as if something got stuck in his throat. His reaction only made Cynder's smile grew wider, satisfied she fully concentrated on the kids " So I've heard you had seen some ghost" she said cheerfully

" Nu-oh you will laugh like the rest of them!" a female hatchling protested

" I'm not like the rest of them"

" We don't believe you!" all of the children started shouting at her

Cynder shrugged " Ok then" she said indifferently " If you don't want to tell me anything then I'm going to look for ghosts somewhere else" she turned around and started walking away swinging her tail joyfully

" How can we know that you are not trying to make fun of us!" one of the cheetahs shouted after her

"Yeah!" all of the other children exclaimed soon after

The smug smile disappeared from Cynder's snout as she looked over her shoulder " I'm not trying to make fun of you" she replied keeping a hint of seriousness in her voice

" Prove it!" one of the other hatchlings demanded

Cynder jumped excited towards the group of kids " See this?" she pointed her claw at the white markings around her eyes " These glyphs are magical in nature, every one of my Order gets those"

" Order?' another dragoness asked

Cynder nodded " Order of the All Seeing Eye, it was founded specifically to hunt ghosts"

" Really? All of you have these magical drawings?' a young cheetah asked fascinated

" Yes"

" What do they do?"

Cynder smiled and began tracing her white markings with her claw " Those around my eyes allow me to see ghosts even if they try to hide from plain sight, the one on my head helps me to concentrate, those on my shoulders protect me against their attacks, those on my back grant me the power to fight them"

The children stared at her with eyes filled with awe " And you can kill every ghost?" one of them asked

Cynder nodded once more " Yes, but to fight them I need to know first what I am up against so I can prepare myself. You need to tell me how the ghosts looked like"

"They were all tras…tres…trespr…ghostly. You could barely see them"

" Yeah!" one of the female hatchlings exclaimed " And, and when they moved they left a mist behind them!"

" Don't forget about the glowing eyes!" another hatchling added excited

" Yeah!" all the rest of the children yelled

One of the cheetahs started lively gesticulate near his eyes " They had that creepy looking yellow eyes and they were glowing"

" Those were the ghosts of the Ancestors! They had armors, crowns and all that stuff what Ancestors had!"

One of the children looked at the black dragoness excitedly " Can you fight with the Ancestors? Can you kill those ghosts?"

Cynder kept bowing her head slightly as if she was absorbing the new information " interesting" she huffed " But to prepare myself I first need to ask you some questions so I determine what type of ghosts I'll face" she focused on the children, she watched them closely barely holding herself from smiling " These draconic ghosts…how did their tail look like? Was it shining with a bright white light or was it ended with a shadowy tip?"

The children exchanged confused looks between themselves " I…I'm not…sure" one of the cheetahs mumbled

" They had shining tails!" a male hatchling exclaimed gaining instantly the attention of his friends " Remember when I told you that something blinded me? You said it was the sun!"

" Now I remember!" one of the female hatchlings shouted " They had shining tails for sure!"

"Yeah! Shining tails!" a commotion broke among the children as they've agreed upon one version of the story

Cynder nodded " Mhm interesting. Wings, how did they look like? Were they extremely large with even bigger blade claws on their thumbs? Or were they small illuminated by a delicate gold hue?

The children looked at each other again " Remember how I got scared because I saw something strange and you guys told me that it was just a part of that creepy building?" a female dragoness asked

" I remember now!" a cheetah shouted

" Me too! I saw the blade before I got blinded" the male hatchling added

" Wings! They had wings!" the second cheetah shouted

"Yeah!" all youngsters exclaimed, reaching a common agreement

" I see" Cynder huffed using a very serious tone " No other questions are needed since you already told me that these were ghosts of the Ancestors. I now know with what type of a ghost you ran up against" she made a pause for a dramatic effect " Voughs, dangerous if provoked, they usually stay out of sight, Voughs only appear in places that have been abandoned for centuries"

Cynder nodded solemnly " Thank you, but now I must prepare myself for the upcoming confrontation" with that she turned around towards her two friends and approached them with a broad smile on her snout

Sparx folded his arms " Since when you are a ghostbuster?"

" A girl has her secrets" she winked " At least we know now that they've made up the whole ghost story"

" You have quite an impressive way with children" Spyro admitted, his voice was filled with awe and surprise

" I've got experience, I'm hanging out with you two after all" she smiled

Spyro chuckled and turned his attention towards the Elder " We would like to check out the ruins"

Cyren nodded " Naturally, however I must warn you that reaching the ruins from the sky is impossible, the ancient structure is very well concealed, you will need to cross the forest"

* * *

They've left the village of Boven behind them and made their way through the dark forest, it was dense and twisted, many of its paths were in poor condition rendering them unpassable. They would most likely get lost if not for their guides. The group of children volunteered to show them the way, however firstly nobody agreed to let them go with complete strangers to a dark forest, at least that was what they said, in truth they just didn't want them near Cynder.

The children didn't gave up and surrounded the Elder, they started to shout and jump all around the old dragon until he finally broke and gave them permission to go. It wasn't their first visit to the forest, the children had to be coming here more than often. Boven is a pretty secluded village this dark forest was their only entertainment, it was the children's only playground.

From the looks on the children's faces they could tell they were surprised that they were held back, it seems they got used to playing in the forest without their parent's consent since they knew they will be back anyway, trust must be very important in such small villages.

The children knew the forest's every nook and cranny, they knew when to turn to not get stuck, they knew how to avoid the more difficult obstacles, sometimes they even split up just to join up again after some time in a completely different part of the woods. The three friends following them could only wonder how long it would take them to reach those ruins and head back to the village because the children looked like they would be capable of doing it in mere moments, with them around the crumbled structure didn't even feel like it was that far away from the village, knowing a shortcut or two always comes in handy.

From their travel the three friends could only tell that the ground was getting slightly steeper and nothing else, in some places the sun rays managed to penetrate the dense crowns but even with the occasional light, every tree, log and bush looked the same, it almost felt like they've been walking in circles. Luckily that was not the case, with each next step the forest was getting thinner, the number of trees was getting lower and lower until they finally revealed what they were trying to hide.

They have found the ruins. The ancient structure was located in a pretty well concealed clearing, if there was a trail leading downhill towards it, it was long gone by now, the time hid it below the grass. The structure was surrounded by many trees with a small hill at its southern end. Who know what purpose the building served but at first glance it looked like a remnant from older times, even the ground was a proof of that, new life thrived around the building just as if tried to say that whatever was here before now has no place here, its time has ended.

The ruins themselves were quite huge, some kind of black stone littered the ground, whatever it purpose was nobody will find out now but it definitely wasn't used to construct walls since those were made from some brownish stone, most likely the black stone was used for making ornaments, statues and the like. Spyro kept observing the crumbled structure and something didn't entirely seem right about it, as for a decades old building the walls seemed very well preserved, right, they were cracked in many places, whatever towers it had now laid in ruins but they didn't show any sign of decay, it looked like the building was torn apart, or more precisely cut in half.

He might be wrong of course but logically thinking the stone should lose its bright color or at least show signs of passing time but he couldn't see anything like it. Not to mention that something else caught his attention, the building was surrounded by fully grown trees, basically nature thrived all around it but there was no moss or lichen growing on its presumably old walls. The structure might be crumbled but even from here he could see that the interior was in the same state like the outer walls.

As Spyro kept thinking about the ruins he felt a tingle running through his front paw, he impulsively looked at his leg and saw as it was slightly shaking. Then another tremor hit him, however this time it was more fierce, whenever he encountered a Veil a tingle ran through one of his limbs and it was a delicate sensation, but now it was a completely different matter. The shiver ran through his whole body, shaking his every limb, muscle and vein, he even felt the air in his lungs vibrate, this awkward sensation lasted for a while but as strange as it was it didn't bother him much, not like the fact that his worries were just confirmed. One of the Veil's is here.

" We need to get the children out of here" Spyro hissed with a glimmer of fear in his voice while staring at the ruins

Cynder furrowed a brow when she heard the tone of his voice however the moment she looked at him and saw that he was shaking, everything became clear " It's time to go home kids!" she shouted at the children

It took them a while to convince the children to leave since they thought that it was just a game, they didn't have time to check if the kids left for real or if they only hid in the forest, they just hoped that if they actually are still here they won't get to close to the ruins.

The three friends arrived near the severed building, from this distance Spyro could definitely tell that this building was torn in half, he saw his share of ruins during his travels and this wasn't one of them, it definitely was dragged here by the Veil but it looked like the portal wasn't able to pull all of it. They circled the building looking for any sign of the Veil, Spyro moved slowly, closely examining every rock, he sniffed, he touched but he couldn't locate the portal, even if he could feel it nearby.

They've made two circles around the structure and didn't see anything, Spyro with a frown returned to the spot where the tingle seemed to be stronger. He ended up facing a wall, the same wall he looked at so many times before, Spyro decided to examine it from the other side but even looking at it from the interior revealed nothing. He touched the stone with his paw and began moving his leg back and forth, he didn't know what he was looking for but if the tingle is any clue then there has to be something here. He kept moving alongside the wall constantly sliding his paw across its surface until something stung his paw.

He stopped, in this place the rocks seemed more jagged, all other spots of the wall were smooth but this one was not, it was edged, just like something would collapse here. Impulsively he looked up, there was a hole in the ceiling above, with nothing left to lose he made some steps back. Spyro charged his Earth powers and released an projectile at the wall, there was a rumble, dust shot from the wall as some rocks fell down to the ground. It was just as he expected, a not very powerful missile pierced through the wall when it would shatter on a more solid construction, the rocks at which he was actually staring at weren't originally from here, they were to weak.

Before he made another attempt Spyro driven by his curiosity decided to take a peek through the hole. The sight confirmed his suspicions, there was something on the other side, on closer inspection he also spotted something that looked like some kind of depression, unfortunately the hole wasn't big enough for his paw to fit. With renewed determination he released another missile at the wall which made the hole bigger. This time his paw slid inside easily, he felt the stone for a while until his paw slid into the depression with much ease.

The inner side of his paw was illuminated by a delicate purple light. The walls began to shake and a sound that of stone grinding on stone echoed throughout the ruins, Spyro impulsively withdrew his paw and looked at it, on the inner side of his foreleg he had a tiny hole, directly in the middle, blood was dripping out of it, he didn't even fell how it was made but he was sure that the depression had something to do with it.

Soon rocks started to roll down on the ground from the wall Spyro struck with his elemental attack, slowly first but then there was a loud thud and the stones fell from the wall, he had to jump backwards to avoid being hit by them. Blinding dust filed the interior, it was so thick that they all began to caught until the air finally took care of it and revealed what it was hiding.

Spyro rubbed his eyes and looked ahead, some sort a gate has opened revealing a flight of stairs behind it, the staircase was wide but as crumbled as the rest of the structure, not many levels remained intact and those that did looked like they were barely holding themselves together. Just above the entrance there was a word carved from black stone "_DISPOSAL"_ was formed from the rocks. Whatever it meant or whatever the purpose the room served they probably would not find out judging from the state of the whole structure, one thing was for certain however, if the tingle is any clue, the Veil is in there.

With a deep breath they've descended the remains of the stairs, as they moved closer the tingle intensified but there was something odd about it, instead of delicately caressing his scales it shook Spyro's whole body, he even felt his blood jumping in his veins. If there is one of the portals down there it isn't like the rest they've encountered, it felt…strange to say the least, just like it was bigger than the others.

They've reached the room, the whole floor was made of cracked marble, remains of the pillars were scattered all around the place, some of them still remained intact, holding parts of the ceiling. Near the walls there was some kind of statues or something similar made from black stone, from the remains they could tell that it depicted dragons with scoldful, hateful and full of disgusts expressions on their artificial snouts, the whole thing protruded from the wall, the statues looked like a crowd observing the scenery ahead without any notion of pity for those who walked these halls.

There was a large mosaic at the north wall or at least what remained of it, wide cracks ran through the wall ahead, shattering the mosaic. It was hard to say what it depicted thanks to its poor state, but they could see some dragons, something that looked like statues, especially one drake stood out from the others, he was standing on a hill or something and… well that's about it, it was impossible to discern anything more from the cracked artwork.

Farther away the marble floor formed a circle around a hole filled with dirt, whatever was in there when the building was operational didn't make its way through the portal, nature taking its place instead. One thing caught their attention however, there was a pile of dust or some kind of black powder laying in the middle of the dirt. Spyro didn't really have the time to focus on such details since the tingle was growing stronger with each second , it didn't escape Cynder's notice since she was near him instantly. He looked at her concerned eyes, he saw her mouth moving but he heard no words, Sparx appeared next to her, he seemed to be yelling and touching him but Spyro couldn't feel or hear anything, whole sound was dampened, only the shaking remained.

As time passed the sensation filling him began sending strong pulses through his body, it wasn't him resonating it, it was something else, something he felt already but it never was so intense. Spyro looked past the worried faces of his friends and it was then when he saw it, the air above the dirt began pulsing, just like a heart would be pumping blood, with every thud he saw some disoriented images but couldn't really tell what it was, the images blinked quickly and his eyes weren't able to assemble the scenery they wanted to present.

With each passing second the pulsing became faster, thud after thud struck him filling his ears with a hollow sound. He observed the pulsing portal and imagined a heart working to its limits, it pumped blood faster and faster, never slowing down but always increasing its tempo. A thud, another one, and another one, they rang in his skull not even allowing him to rest, the tempo intensified even harder. Spyro could barely take it, he could feel his head cracking, his brain clashing against his skull just as if it was trying to get out, he felt as his head was about to explode.

It was then when a blast echoed throughout the ruins with its hollow sound, a bluish ring shot from the crackling air above the dirt, it dragged some stones and dust from the ceiling as it passed through the room. It passed through the three friends as if was never there, they couldn't even feel it, all of them concentrated on the sight ahead, even Spyro's troubling sensations have passed away with the blast but he didn't even notice it, he was staring at the scene ahead with wide eyes.

Time seemed to slow down slightly, the black powder materialized into some sort of a creature, it looked draconic but it had some strange features that didn't really were fit exactly with the dragon kind, not that they could make out everything since the creature was lying flat on the ground, it was completely still just like something was holding it down. Soon they found out what was pinning the creature to the ground, a large rocky hand materialized itself tightly gripping the form in its palm. In seconds the owner of the hand appeared, the creature was tall and bulky, it looked like a statue or a golem.

The construct appeared to be trying to dip the creature it was holding into the ground but instead it found itself smearing the draconic figure along the dirt. Its arm stopped moving just as if it realized that it won't achieve its goal this way. The statue changed its grip, it clenched its fist around the dragon looking creature's neck and lifted it upwards as the construct straightened up.

They didn't really focus on the draconic creature since their eyes were momentarily drawn towards the construct, they could take a good look at it in its straightened up position. It was no statue but definitely a golem of sorts, it seemed even taller and more bulky when it stood on two legs. The golem's body was made from rough black stone, two cavities were carved into the stone adjacent to each other, most likely for eyes, a long slit was seen below them which could only resemble a tightly shut mouth. The rocks from which the golem was made seemed to be melted with each other since there were no joints connecting its limbs, the rock was illuminated by a dim red light, just like a fire would be burning inside the construct's body.

It didn't notice them, it was focused entirely on one task- to crush the creature it was holding. The deadly grip prevented the draconic figure from escaping, it kept thrashing as it hung above the ground with its life slowly ebbing away. There was no chance it could free itself from the grip, it movements were getting slower and slower, the lungs stung and no sound could pass through its crunched throat, a silent death was approaching.

" Not this thing again" Sparx said with a wavering voice, fear seeping through his tone as he understood the danger, it wasn't their first golem they met but every time they fought with one it proved to be a deadly opponent. This one seemed forensic in particular.

Spyro didn't care, be it a dragon , ape or a golem nothing of that mattered for him. They are here now and they won't stand idle and watch as the construct kills mercilessly a creature which can't protect itself. With determination he charged his Earth powers and released an missile towards the construct clenched hand.

Chips of little rocks shot from the stony hand as the missile made an impact with it. It caught the construct by surprise, it didn't hurt it much but it was enough to force its hand open. The draconic creature fell on the ground with a loud gasp for air, as it landed ungracefully on the floor it began to crawl away to safety immediately.

" How about you attack someone who can fight back you good for nothing piece of crap!" Spyro yelled provocatively at the golem, just to gain its attention " Come on! Attack us!" he waved with his wing " We are over here!"

It worked, the construct slowly turned around to face them, after a while of silent staring it arched forward and cried out a rumble sound. As its mouth parted a flame gushed from inside its mouth and its eyes sparkled with an intense red light, just like a flame would gushed from inside its body. Even its body seemed to illuminate with a more intense red hue than before as if was trying to show that time for jokes is over. The golem kicked the slithering figure on the ground and sent it flying with a painful grunt behind some columns just as if tried to get it point across and then charged.

" Just for the record, you know that I've been kidding about that Hell stuff right?" Cynder whispered while not losing the approaching golem from her sight.

Spyro didn't answer since they both jumped out of the way as the hulking creature threw its arms downwards hitting the spot where the two dragons stood previously and creating a hole in the floor, the marble jutted from the ground on some sides, if they would stay there this one move would be enough to turn them both into a pulp. They've done this before, a simple dodge and attack from both sides was enough to cripple every opponent and this golem like the rest of their enemies fell for this trap.

They couldn't be more wrong, as they began charging their elements the golem instead of attacking one of them crossed its arms crosswise around its body and hunkered down before it instantly straightened up and threw its arms sideways emitting the same rumbling war cry. A reddish ring shot from around the golem that shook the very foundations of the building, it resembled a fire but it wasn't hot and the moment it reached them they both could feel their insides squeezing together before a tremendous shockwave was released that hurled them across the room and towards the walls.

Both dragons grunted painfully while they made a hole in the wall at the impact and the moment they slid down to the ground some little stones fell on their heads. It was then when Spyro could feel the tremors of the floor just as if an earthquake would be approaching him, focused returned to his eyes and he looked ahead just to see the golem almost in front of his nose making a swing with one of its fiery and enormous arms. Adrenaline pumped through him and Spyro instantly turned into a boulder, even in his protective cocoon he felt the power of the impact as the fist slammed against him. The force of the strike sent him rolling across the room, he spun around so quickly that his head started to ache. Spyro rolled onto a knocked over column which was leaned against a wall. Unwillingly he made his way upwards and the speed with which he kept spinning allowed him to vertically roll on the wall until he finally reached the ceiling. The vertigo prevented Spyro from maintaining focus, his boulder form dissolved and he found himself falling down towards the ground. Seeing what is happening Spyro limply began flapping his wings, but his moves were so uncoordinated that he only managed to slow down his unwilling descent. He hit the floor with a loud thud, the impact and the wild spinning left him dizzy.

Cynder recovered just to see the golem running in Spyro's direction, her eyes focused on the debris, rocks and parts of destroyed columns littered the ground ahead. It was unlikely that the debris would hurt the construct but she was sure that it will stall the creature and that's everything she wanted to achieve. Cynder charged her Wind element and released a powerful gust, the wind blew the debris straight at the running golem. The debris only forced the creature to sway as it fought to regain balance, it straightened up and turned towards the black dragoness who dared to attack it, with another loud rumbling war cry it began its charge.

Cynder once again sent some debris flying towards the golem, however this time the creature seemed unmoved by it, some rocks he destroyed with a fast swing of its enormous arm just to catch and crush some other stones in its other palm not even slowing its advance. Cynder's eyes went wide when she saw the golem catching one of the bigger stones and hurling it towards her, thanks to her natural agility she jumped out of the rocks way and instantly took to the sky. The golem slid on the ground rippling the floor as it forced itself to stop instantly, the creature looked up at the flying black dragoness who was just starting to spin around charging her Twister ability.

Before the wind started to howl through the room the golem extended its arms towards the hovering dragoness and clapped its hands forcefully that some small chips of rock fell from its body at the impact. Another shockwave ring was sent her way, Cynder had no chance to dodge it and was sent flying towards the ceiling, the powerful impact kicked the breath out of her lungs and she began falling down numbly with some parts of the ceiling behind her, the moment she was in the right altitude the golem swung its arm and slapped the black dragoness sending her flying across the room like a bolt shot from a crossbow.

Spyro was already charging leaving a fiery trail behind him as he used his elemental power to fuel his Comet Dash ability, it was then when he saw a black shape quickly flying across the room. The room was filled with a rumbling noise as she collided with remnants of the black statues, dust burst forth into the air from the place of her impact. Spyro was worried about her health but he also knew that it takes much more than a single strike to put down a dragoness like her.

They fought with Malefor after all, he slammed them against a wall several times and they both survived the offensive of the powerful Dark Master, he was much more powerful than the creature they are fighting right now. Spyro hoped that she isn't injured very badly, he needs her and if the golem knocked her out cold then he is in big trouble. As he kept looking at the hanging dust he saw a glowing yellow shape diving into it, Sparx had to understand what is happening. Good, if she fell unconscious he should be able to resuscitate her.

The golem wields abilities that they never met before, the scene of Cynder being blown from the sky taught Spyro a lesson. The construct creates some kind of mighty shockwave whenever they are out of its reach, Spyro needs to adapt to the situation, he has to keep an appropriate distance to the creature since he has no means to protect himself against that tremendous force. Sadly Cynder learnt that lesson the hard way.

As he ran with his horns pointed at the rocky leg he felt rage rousing inside him, that creature will be sorry for hurting his friend. With an angry growl and new determination he continued his advance. All of these emotions vanished the moment he rammed into the creature, he expected that his horns would sink into the golem's leg, that his attack would at least cripple it a bit but nothing like that happened. Spyro bounced from the rocky body and found himself landing on his butt with a stinging pain in his neck and dizziness in his head. Spyro shook off the unwanted sensation and focused, the moment he did that he noticed that the creature's leg didn't even bend, his attack didn't even leave a mark on the construct's body.

Just as he observed the golem he noticed a clenched fist coming at him from above, Spyro impulsively rolled to the side, the creature's hand slammed into the ground creating a hole in the floor as a result. After the strike the whole ground in the nearby area began to shake violently, Spyro tried to pull himself up but the small earthquake every time pushed him back onto the ground. The golem however was completely unmoved by the shaking foundations, it swung its leg at the defenseless dragon. The kick sent Spyro spinning sideways on the ground with a painful grunt, after a while his wild spinning came to a stop, the moment he landed on his belly he coughed up blood, painting the marble floor with a crimson hue.

It was then when a large shadowy splotch dragged itself on a nearby column which was close to the whole action. Cynder learnt another lesson from her friend's anguish, fighting the golem on the ground is useless and way too risky for her taste. Even a simple miss has tragic effects, the only way to fight with the golem is to take to the sky and get as close as possible to the creature so it won't use his shockwave strike. New tactic formed itself in her mind and this was the perfect opportunity to put it to the test.

Cynder jumped from the previously mentioned shadow, with her empowered claws she began her attack. The golem seemed to be surprised by her sudden appearance since it didn't make a slightest move to defend itself. She slashed her claws burning with a dark flame at the construct, chips of rocks were sent flying as her claws connected with the golem's body. Cynder swiftly moved to an another part of the creature's body and repeated her move, as before only small rocks splinters were thrown in the air. Another part, the same move ended with the same result, she tried again just to experience the same ending,

As she hovered in the air and looked at the golem Cynder realized that she made a full circle around the golem, she gasped faintly in shock when she saw that the golem wasn't hurt. Her claws didn't even leave a scratch on the construct's body, by looking at the rocky armor she could say that her attack never happened since the golem looked exactly the same, no wound or anything similar scarred its body. It was like the creature tried to taunt her, now when that was over it was the golem's turn to attack.

It swung one of its enormous arms at the hovering dragoness, Cynder keeping close distance to the golem dodged the attack with a quick flap of her wings and a swift move. Just as the arm flew above her she stabbed the creature with the blade on her tail right in the chest, another small rocks fell from the golem's body but as always it seemed not to feel it. It sent an uppercut with its other arm at the pestering dragoness, she made a quick turn sideways avoiding the strike and cut the golem right below the elbow. Another strike, this one came even faster than before, she could hear the whizz of the wind as the fist missed her by mere inches. Cynder attacked again but as always no damage seemed to be inflicted, the golem once again attacked even faster this time, she dodged again but this time Cynder couldn't counter attack since soon another arm was heading her way. One of the golem's fingers hooked against her wing, the slight impact made her totter in the air but thanks to her natural grace she recovered her balance quickly just to dodge another attack. The golem seemed to speed up with each strike, if she won't come up with something quick one of these punches will hit her eventually.

That's when Spyro returned to the battle, he sent cone after cone at the swinging golem, the earth missiles struck the construct delicately slowing it down. He released another one missile and then another one, the golem stopped obviously angered by the interruption. It was then when Spyro channeled his earth powers once more, with elemental energy swirling inside him he opened his mouth. Instead of an projectile a glowing green chain burst forth connected to a giant swirling bomb, he decided to use his Earth Flail ability. Spyro spun around, the glowing chain extended and as he made a left turn the bomb destroyed everything in its path, be it a column, rock or a statue, nothing was strong enough to withstand such force, expect the golem.

Spyro's eyes went wide when the bomb finally reached the construct's torso, instead of delicately throwing him away so he can strike once more and creating a hole in the creature's body the impact sent him spinning in the other direction wildly, involuntarily and uncontrollably. Spyro lost his focus and the glowing chain began to slowly dissolve but not before the bomb reached the other side of the golem, the creature caught the bomb in his enormous hand and flicked it away to the side just like it weighted nothing. Spyro was lifted from the ground and sent flying across the room, as he made his way across the air he noticed Cynder's wide stare, the chain wrapped around her entwining them both, with their wings held in place they were sent flying towards the ground, the scattered debris made for a rough landing.

They both groaned in pain when the scattered rocks scratched their leathery armors, as they slid on the ground they left a trail of delicate blood behind them. Their wild ride finally came to a stop, both dragons rolled on their sides, with pain and adrenaline pumping through their bodies.

" This thing…" Cynder hissed "…is immune to our every attack…" her voice trailed off as she pulled out with a groan of pain one of the rocks protruding from her body

" Everything has a weak spot…somewhere" Spyro hissed through clenched teeth as he was slowly pulling out a bloody long piece of marble from his body " We…just need to find it" he yelped faintly in agony as the piece finally came out, with a pant he flicked it away

" Take that!" a shout caught their attention, both dragons looked ahead just to see a glowing yellow shape flying all around the golem, the construct was swinging its arms wildly just like it tried to crush a fly. Sparx took a risk and started to distract the golem giving them some time to pull themselves together and think of a strategy

" I feel so useless" Cynder hissed angrily while pulling out another blood rock from her body " Shadow and wind doesn't seem to work, not to mention that there is no point in using my other two elemental attacks. What kind of golem is that"

" My attacks don't hurt it as well" Spyro admitted with a painful groan as another bloody piece of marble fell to the ground

" Convexity?"

" No" Spyro stated firmly his voice ringing with a commanding tone " it's too risky, it might hurt it but there is no guarantee that it will kill it, we need to make a crack first in that armor somehow"

Groaning Cynder pulled herself up" Any idea how to kill it?"

He followed in her wake hissing in pain " I'll use my Fury attack on it we'll see what happens. Just stall it long enough, with these wounds I need some time to focus"

" That's your plan?" she blurt out incredulously " Hit it with a Fury and see what happens?"

" You got a better idea?"

She turned to face the golem, Cynder watched the construct but nothing crossed her mind, she had to admit that Fury was their best bet. She sighed and wincing unfolded her aching wings " Just don't keep me waiting" as she took to the sky Spyro made his way on the ground, hiding behind some debris so the golem would not notice him as he prepared his attack.

As Cynder approached the construct she saw the creature swinging its arms faster and faster at the pestering dragonfly, Sparx put up a brave fight but he won't be able to withstand the creatures wild swings for much longer

" Move!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, hearing her loud shout Sparx to his relief got away from the golem

Cynder channeled her Wind element once again, chill filled her body as a delicate breeze mixed itself with the blood in her veins, she started to spin around while still in the air. Momentarily she transformed into a deadly tornado, the howling wind around her sucked all the nearby debris, rocks and parts of the black statues started to swirl all around her. As she approached the golem more and more debris accumulated within her Twister, the moment the rocks blocked her view she started to spit them out. The debris started to fly in every direction with incredible momentum, the hurled debris wrecked everything in its path.

The golem however as expected was unmoved by this offensive, it tottered slightly when the first stones hit it but other than that nothing serious happened to it. Cynder to prevent it from using its shockwave let go of her elemental power and started once again chopping at the creature with her claws and tail. The construct seemed infuriated by the previous pestering from the annoying dragonfly, it swung its arms at tremendous speed, she had hard time dodging its strikes. As dangerous as it was she didn't back down, she had a goal and she will see it completed no matter what, their own lives may depend on it. With every swing of the golem's arms and with every slash of her claws she wished that Spyro would hurry up, as important as her task was she didn't want to get struck by those hands again.

Spyro appeared close to the two fighters, adrenaline and anger coursed through his body, the elemental power he channeled allowed him to mix those two companions into one. Fury filled his entire being, fury so strong that it made his heart pound at his chest relentlessly with a tremendous force, the surging power forced the blood to hastily flow through his veins, he could feel it vibrate inside. He was ready.

" Hide!" Spyro's shout was hoarse, somewhat stifled just like a grunt of someone who was in the middle of a strenuous task, as short as it was it echoed throughout the whole room

Cynder knew what was going to happen. Several flaps of her wings, a couple of swift moves and she was out of the golem's reach. She was fast in the air, maneuvering her body in such a way that it looked like she danced to the unheard music of her wings. As Cynder made her way through the sky she noticed a dragonfly hovering in the air, staring at her with wide eyes. She grabbed Sparx in her paw and dived instantly towards the nearby debris, when on the ground she laid low behind the pile of stones with her black wings covering her.

It was then when the air became unnaturally cold, freezing almost. Spyro closed his eyes and bent on his legs, deadly cold wind rushed through him and swirled all around his body. It killed all the sound, only the howl of the freezing wind remained. Spyro opened his eyes, they were cold and blue just like they would be incased in ice, it was then when he finally released his Fury.

Huge glaciers of solid sharp ice formed like spikes started to protrude from the ground, they formed a circle around the purple dragon and in that form they made their way through the room destroying completely everything that stood in their path. A freezing gust followed soon after, an icy ring burst forth from Spyro carrying with it a wind that sucked the life even from the rocks. As the gust made its way through the room it turned everything that still remained standing to ice.

Cynder shivered so badly that even her teeth started to rattle against each other when the chilling wind passed above her. It has ended as quickly as it began, only a still unbearably cold air remained. She craned her neck upwards and as her trembling head protruded from her now icy cover she started to examine the surroundings to the sound of her rattling teeth. Everything was destroyed or turned to ice, every object that remained standing emanated a freezing steam.

Cynder didn't care what happened to the room, her eyes were instantly drawn towards the golem, the construct stood there completely covered in ice just like some kind of sculpture, it looked like they have finally got it. Her hopes diminished quickly when the ice began to crack and shatter on the ground, the construct's limbs were slowly coming back to life, ice upon ice shattered on the ground until the golem freed itself from its icy prison. It emanated the same cold steam and layers of frost covered its body, also its movements seemed to be slower.

" _How the hell…?"_ Cynder thought to herself, how it was still moving after such an attack was beyond her but she just couldn't believe that Spyro's Fury attack didn't scar it, it had to reveal a weakness she just needs to find it

" Sparx…" she mumbled through rattling teeth, icy mist bursting from her mouth as she spoke " listen…I'll distract it while you…you look…for some kind of weakness….It had to feel that a….attack"

Sparx started to hover beside her with his arms wrapped around himself just like he tried to warm himself up " What…what kind of…weakness?"

" A crack in the ar…armor, a cut…I don't know….look fo…for something out of t…the ordinary. Go" with that she took to the sky once more, the dragonfly followed her soon after.

She started pestering the golem once more, this time however she managed to hit it more often thanks to its slower movements, while she has been distracting the creature Sparx was circling around the construct looking for any sign of weakness. Spyro soon joined her, as a purple dragon of prophecies he had more elemental energy than any dragon who wielded only one element. While the Fury attack would hinder any other dragon, he was still ready to continue the fight, he was drained and weakened of course but he kept pushing on.

As both dragons were keeping the golem busy Sparx slowly circled the creature carefully looking for… well he didn't know what he was looking for but he hoped that he would find it nevertheless. The golem was slowly losing its frost layers, the black rock leisurely reappearing, The creature eventually turned its back to Sparx and that was the moment when he narrowed his eyes, a slight part of the golem's neck was still covered in solid ice, with the receding frost that seemed odd.

He darted towards Cynder " That guy has something on the back of his neck!" Sparx yelled

She looked at Spyro, he just nodded giving her a clear signal that he will take care of the golem so she can check it out. Cynder circled the creature and her eyes went wide when she noticed the ice, not much but still better than nothing. She decided to peel it off and check what's beneath it, Cynder plunged herself into a shadow of her own creation just to jump out of it soon after with dark energy burning from her claws. With a fast slash of her claws she shattered the ice easily, a hole has been made in the golem's armor. Cynder wanted to take a peek inside but flames suddenly burst out from the hole , she impulsively jerked her head back. The flame looked exactly like the one that burnt from the golem's eyes, she wasn't sure but her instinct told her that the fire is what makes the golem tick. Cynder could attack that spot with her Wind element but she decided not to, better to hit it with something and hit it hard, this may be their only chance to finish it once and for all.

She made her way towards Spyro " There is a crack Spyro. Convexity time!" she yelled

" Are you sure?" he asked while dodging a blow

" Yes!" she whistled " Sparx! Distract it, make sure that we can see its back!" she could hear him whining but he still did what he was told to do " And get away when the big guns are fired"

Both dragons landed quite a distance away from the golem, with a deep breath they concentrated. They've been lifted slightly from the ground and as they hovered in the air they began to draw power from every corner. They could feel all of their elemental powers swirling and twisting with each other inside them until they became one. That powerful creation demanded energy, energy which was the very source of their existence. Magical essence started to flow through them, dragged from their very souls to empower and sustain the destructive force within them, it fed on it with great appetite and with each passing second it became stronger. The power within them started to pulse, just like a heart but with an undeniable notion to be finally free. The golem turned around and they noticed the hole in its neck, it was now or never.

They opened their mouths, purple laser beams were released at the golem. The Convexity attack vaporized everything on its path no matter how solid or thick the obstacle was, nothing was able to withstand such tremendous power. As the beam kept going they became weaker and weaker, the laser not only carried their elemental reserves but even the very essence of their own creation. As the magical energy drifted away so did they, the beam was becoming weaker when the last dozes of their energy were being sacrificed, they couldn't stand it any longer. Both of them collapsed on the ground panting heavily, they didn't even have the strength to see if it worked.

" It worked! It is dead!" Sparx excited shout echoed throughout he room

They were too tired to cheer, they had the strength only for a weak smile. Some time has passed but eventually they pulled themselves together and examined the golem, it was nothing more than a pile of rubble now, its flame extinguished for all eternity. However something unexpectedly broke their moment of glee.

" You!" an angry and scarred young male voice echoed throughout the room " I won't let you harm anyone else!"

Cynder rolled her eyes "_Here we go again"_ she mused. Once again she helps to defeat a dangerous creature and once again they prefer to ignore it. Hate is a strong emotion indeed

She sighed " Listen-"

" I'm going to kill you for everything you've done Purple Dragon!" the male shout cut her off

Sparx, Spyro and Cynder looked at the direction from which the voice was coming from "WHAT?!" they exclaimed simultaneously


	21. Chapter 3 Book II

Chapter 3

A roar filled the room, it wasn't a roar of a self- confident creature which intimidates its prey or attackers but a roar filled with uncertainty, fear and barely noticeable hint of bravery. It was the sound of a cornered creature which perfectly understands that it won't see another day but it won't be forced to leave this world without putting up a fight, a final desperate cling to life.

" You'll pay for everything!" the male emitted a wavering growl. The three of them could finally take a good glimpse at the frightened figure.

It was a young male, maybe two or three years younger than them, his build was draconic, he looked like a dragon but at the same time wasn't one, they have never seen a creature like him. First thing that their eyes caught were the colors of his scales, they were mostly fiery red covering the top and sides of his body and tail, his neck, underbelly and bottom side of his tail consisted of orange scales. Streaks of yellow could be visible in the places where his red scales connected with the orange ones.

Patterns of three yellow scales which were positioned one below the other in a diagonal fashion embellished his shoulders. Several small yellow spines protruded from the top side of his tail, the tail itself was ended with the most peculiar tip, it looked like a smaller version of a bird's tail and it was burning with a bright flame. Something was attached to both his elbows and hocks, something which no dragon they ever knew had. Those attachments had the form of a feather and they were burning in the same way like the tip on the dragon's tail.

The young dragon's eyes were also strange, they were yellow but instead of round pupils just like any other drake had his pupils were narrowed to slits resembling the eyes of a cat or a bird. Two yellow horns protruded from the top of his head. Between them was a blazing mane which started from the top of his head and ended on the nape of his neck. He was an odd dragon but two things in particular drawn the group's attention, one of this things were his wings. They were no ordinary wings, no bones, no membranes or leathery armor typical for the dragon kind was seen.

His big wings were burning like a fire, they were formed mostly from a reddish flame, but as the flame got closer to the edge it adopted a more yellowish hue just to finally end on an orange color. How the blazing wings could hold him in the air was a mystery, if they could at all. The second thing that caught their interest was a gem, a reddish beautiful crystal was inserted into his chest, just like it was a part of his body. Red and yellow entwined and swirled inside the gem, illuminating the whole structure of the crystal with a delicately bright light.

The dragon stood there, slightly bent on his paws, it looked like he was ready for anything, ready to commit one last act of bravery, no matter what happens. However his eyes, his strange looking eyes betrayed his tenacity, as much as he tried to sound confident his orbs were full of fear. Judging from the delicate wriggling of his pupils they could tell that he was scared and started to become even more terrified with each passing second, if the uneasy swings of his fiery tail are any clue. He desperately tried to put on a brave face but failed miserably, they could smell terror on him.

The male roared once again.

Spyro observed the young dragon, he didn't understand why he is the reason behind his aggression and not Cynder, but that was not important right now, what really mattered to him was to avoid a fight, there is no need for blood to be spilled.

He raised his paw defensively " Listen we-"

" I won't listen to your lies!" the drake emitted a wavering growl cutting the purple dragon off

" I don't want to fight you" Spyro replied calmly with a skill worthy of a negotiator. " We come in peace" he took a step forward

" Stand back!" the dragon roared and made a single step backwards, his voice becoming more and more nervous

He took another step " Let's just talk ok?"

The drake once again retreated " Stand back!" his roar was filled with terror and desperation

Spyro stopped " I won't harm you" he pronounced those words slowly allowing sincerity to be clearly heard in his voice

The drake started to shake, nervousness and fear overwhelming him " L-l-l-liar!" he stuttered

" It's true" Cynder interjected when she finally managed to shake of the surprise, it felt wrong but also oddly pleasant to see that for the first time she wasn't a target " Spyro won't attack you, he is the good guy here"

The yellow eyes of the dragon shifted towards her, absorbing her form just like they noticed her for the first time. After a moment of silent staring his pupils once again returned to the purple dragon " R-r-r- release h-h- her! She h-h-has n-n-n-nothing to d-d-do with it!"

She jerked back furrowing her brow " I'm not his prisoner"

" S-s-s- stop ma-ma-ma- manipulating h-her! G-g-g- get your p-p-p- paws dirty at l-l-l- least o-once y-y-you b-b-b- bastards!"

" A stammerer, seriously?" Sparx whispered incredulously

" She speaks the truth" Spyro confirmed and pointed at her with his claw " This is Cynder, we are friends"

" O-o-o-of c-c-course you a-a-a-are" the oddly looking dragon replied sarcastically

" Spyro is the good guy here, he would never hurt anyone. He is here to help" Cynder interjected with a soft tone

" N-n-n-no!" the male shouted as loudly as his stammer allowed him " T-t-t-they n-n-n-never help! W-w-w-wake up p-p-p-please!"

" Listen to me" Spyro whispered almost pleadingly " We are not going to harm you. I'M not going to harm you"

" S-s-s-shut up!" the drake roared

" Ok listen dude" Sparx made his way in front of Spyro " You've got the wrong guy here, he wouldn't hurt a fly. But her…" he pointed at Cynder" oooooh now that's a different story"

" Sparx…" Spyro hissed his brother's name through clenched teeth

The dragonfly ignored the purple dragon " She insulted…taunted…kidnapped…"

" Sparx…"

"…stole…maimed…desecrated…"

" Sparx…" Spyro hissed again, this time more irritated

Sparx remained unmoved "…destroyed… murdered …dismembered…"

" Sparx that's enough!" the purple dragon growled angrily before taking a deep breath to calm himself " You are not helping"

Sparx raised his arms defensively "Dude chill, it's not like I'm lying"

" Thanks for sorting things out" Cynder commented sarcastically

" You're welcome" he bowed mockingly

The young red drake however seemed to ignore the dragonflie's word's or didn't hear them at all. He was staring at the glowing yellow shape with wide eyes trembling uncontrollably, he seemed to be paralyzed from fear " W-w-w-what k-k-k-kind of b-b-b-bug is t-t-t-this?" the dragon's slammer could barely be heard thanks to the ringing terror in his voice

Sparx pointed an angry finger at the odd drake " Hey I'm not a bug!" his chest swelled " I'm a dragonfly" he stated proudly

" A d-d-d-dragonfly?"

" Yeah! One of a kind really, you won't find a more powerful and good looking dragonfly than me anywhere else"

The dragon gulped as if swallowing a portion of his fear " H-h-h-how p-p-p-powerful?"

" Dude, they call me the King of the World. I'm even considered God in some circles" Sparx responded without a second thought, just to keep talking, making sense didn't matter

" Y-y-y-you rule t-t-t-the whole w-w-w-world?"

The dragonfly frowned " What portion of the _King of the World_ you didn't understand? Of course I do, everyone bows to me!"

" E-e-e-even the p-p-p-purple d-d-d-dragons?"

Sparx furrowed his brow, he was uncertain if the dragon is being serious and is actually buying his made up story or is making fun of him. He made his way between his friends and covered his mouth with his hand " Am I crazy or is he actually believing in my fake story?"

Spyro shrugged " Seems like it"

" Just keep playing along" Cynder urged the dragonfly

Sparx once again made his way in front of his friends and cleared his throat " Everyone"

The dragon jerked back, surprised and somewhat calmer " Really?"

" Really, they both won't dare to hurt me. Look" he began circling his two friends " See?" Sparx covered his mouth " I've got a plan" he whispered

Cynder shook her head quickly in disbelief " Wait, wait, wait. YOU'VE got a plan?"

" Either that Smartass or you will have to fight"

" What's your plan?" Spyro asked curiously

" I'm going to act as I'm the ruler and you two are my slaves or something. I'm just going to fool the guy"

" Ok he might be not the brightest sort , just look at the guy he's clearly strange but that doesn't mean he won't figure things out" Cynder said cautiously " How can you know that he won't snap at some point?"

Sparx looked behind his shoulder, watching the young drake " He reminds me of someone" he whispered almost longingly

" You sure about that? I don't know if someone can be that naive" Spyro pulled the teeth of his brother, judging if he really knows what he is doing

" Bro trust me" the dragonfly eyed his brother from claw to horn " I know the type" he once again darted forward while throwing them a quick glance " Chill guys, I've got it covered" with that he turned towards the red dragon

" Oh no" Spyro whispered with a hint of fear in his voice

" What is it?" Cynder asked concerned

" Whenever Sparx says those words bad things happen and I'm sure one of us will find out what it is the hard way soon enough"

" You're exaggerating"

He sighed " Don't say that I didn't warn you"

Sparx spread his arms to both sides " Cool isn't it?" he addressed the young red drake

" How did you do that?" the male asked full of awe

" Natural talent dude. I command every creature, they follow my every whim, I can do whatever I want and nobody can stop me"

" You must be really powerful to become a king of the purple dragons"

" Dude duh. They know that they don't have any chance against me, people start to run whenever they hear my name. They call me…" Sparx made a pause for a dramatic effect " The Puppeteer" he said with the most manly and menacing voice he could muster

" The Puppeteer?" the dragon mumbled intimidated

" Yes and you know why? Because those who stand against me become my puppets, I pull the strings and they dance as I see fit"

" It must have been really tough to achieve so much"

" It was I don't deny it" Sparx replied dramatically " But a true hero knows the meaning of bravery, cunning and wisdom. These traits are not unfamiliar to me" a female cough could be heard after his words but he decided to ignore it

" I still don't understand how you managed to defeat the purple dragons, you are rather um… frail looking" the male stated bashfully

The dragonfly nodded " True but what I lack in raw strength I make up in brain. Every dragonfly and me in particular is born with tremendous intelligence" another cough could be heard but this time he threw Cynder an angry glance

She rubbed her neck " Something got stuck in my throat" she smirked

The young dragon observed the two drakes " They don't look like slaves"

" Because they aren't slaves. I allowed them to keep their free will, but that doesn't mean they won't follow my orders, I can do whatever I want with them." Sparx clapped his hands " A little demonstration maybe?" he pointed at Cynder " Take her for example"

She balked at the unexpected attention

" That's Cynder, I don't really know why I keep her around she's practically useless" he placed his palm on his chin " I should really consider changing her for something way cooler, some kind of shambling mound would be great. Stronger and waaaaay prettier"

Spyro began to whistle and look around the room " Here it comes"

" He wouldn't dare" Cynder hissed threateningly while narrowing her eyes on the dragonfly

" Been there done that"

Sparx shook his head " But look at me I digress. As I said I don't have a better model yet so I'm forced to be stuck with her. At least she's a good arrow bait."

The male observed Cynder and saw her angry expression " She doesn't seem to like her role" he whispered

The dragonfly waved his hand " Nah, I'm just joking she has her uses. I must say that she is full of grace just like a gazelle, you never seen anything like that before I tell you" he turned to face the black dragoness " Cynder dance for us" he said with wavering lips, as if trying to hold back his laughter

" What?" she blurt out in disbelief

" Come on I know you like it" Sparx urged her like a little shy kid

" He can't possibly be serious" she looked at Spyro for advice but instead of finding help she saw him suppressing a giggle. Her eyes flared up at the sight

Spyro cleared his throat and removed his paw from his mouth " Sorry" he said with a wavering voice

Sparx covered his mouth " Public performances make her nervous" he whispered to the red drake before focusing on the black dragoness again " Cynder you can do it!" he shouted excitedly

" I'm not going to dance" she stated firmly

" Come on Cynder we don't have any choice, besides…" Spyro's mouth twitched into a teasing smile " I've never seen you dance before"

" Don't push me Spyro" she growled

" Don't be shy!" Sparx urged her once more

" Cynder this may be our only chance to avoid fighting" Spyro said with a serious tone but his voice wavered with anticipation and amusement

She looked at her purple friend, just to look at the dragonfly next, anger was rousing within her, she never danced before and forcing her to do so made her only mad. If she knew how the plan would turn out she would never agree to this, she had a hard time keeping her temper in check. But then she looked at the odd drake, he was like nothing she ever seen before not to mention he got here through one of the Veils. He seemed a bit naïve but he might be the only chance to learn about the portals or everything that was related to the time from which he came from. If somebody gave her the choice dance or battle she would go for battle, but to lose the one dragon who could shed some light on the whole situation… it was not worth it.

Cynder sighed in defeat " Fine" she turned towards the red drake and the dragonfly and froze, she bit her lip and nervously scratched the floor with her claw _" Now how do I start?" _she mused to herself

" Spyro give her a hand will you?" Sparx shouted and folded his arms watching the black dragoness with a grin on his face

Spyro smiled as he saw her confused expression, he will make her life easier. He grew up in a Swamp amongst friendly dragonflies, he knew what music is, his parents took him to parties so he wouldn't feel different and alone, he didn't knew it back then but he was the only dragon in the Swamp even if he had no idea about his heritage. Spyro knew that there are some slower and some faster songs, she is clearly a novice so a slow song would allow her to feel at least a bit more comfortable, the rhythm would carry her after that.

Spyro tapped his paw against the floor, his claws created an echoing click, a short pause and once again a tap, soon he repeated the same move creating a slow rhythm just like a slow beat from a speaker. She turned her head to look at him, he was watching her with a smile on his snout, his purple head was slowly bobbing to the sound of his clicks. Cynder averted her gaze and sighed

" This is going to be embarrassing" she muttered under her breath.

Instinctively she began tapping her paw to the slow rhythm Spyro's claws created. Click, pause, click, pause, click. It was a stupid thing but this so called dance made her nervous and she was grateful that Spyro noticed it and was trying to make it easier for her. She kept repeating the same move but then suddenly the tempo has changed, instead of a single tap there were now two clicks which delicately quickened the music. Perhaps it wasn't much of a change but it still surprised her.

Cynder threw a startled glance at her accompanist, Spyro chuckled when he saw her troubled expression. With the same smile remaining on his snout he concentrated on the rhythm, two clicks and he sidestepped with a delicate yet fluent swing of his body, a single click followed soon after accenting the change of position. He repeated the same move but this time making his way to the other side, two clicks and he returned to the starting position, a single tap followed acknowledging the change. From this position Spyro repeated everything from the beginning.

Cynder watched him closely completely ignoring the fact that she stood still while she observed the new move. The moment Spyro once again returned to his starting position Cynder took a breath. He moved to the side she sidestepped right behind him, tap and return, another round soon followed and then another one. She was so focused on the steps that she didn't even realize that she was doing it on stiff legs, in her case that wasn't a dance but a simple sidestepping from side to side.

It was then when she heard a murmur, she looked at the direction from which the sound was coming from and saw Spyro trying to tell her something. He kept saying something but she couldn't make out the words, Cynder just shook her head in annoyance

" I can't hear you" she hissed

" Swing" Spyro whispered

She didn't hear him again, but she couldn't leave it like that. Cynder focused on her friend, she might not hear him but that doesn't mean she can't understand him, the dragoness decided to read from Spyro's lips. He seemed to be repeating the word _Swing_ whenever he sidestepped with a sway of his body. That was when realization struck her, Cynder completely forgot about the thing she was forced to do, namely- dance. It made her even more irritated and nervous.

She followed in his wake but was so much worse in it, her legs were stiff, they just didn't want to bend. Every muscle on her body was tense that the swing she tried to do didn't look like a sway at all but a chaotic wriggle, judging from the two stifled chuckles that burst out after her move she had to be looking quite silly. Once more the tempo increased slightly, a step forward a step backwards was added to the choreography a simple change but it still put her off her stride. In her focus to learn the two new steps she forgot how the previous two went, in all this nervousness she couldn't remember some simple steps not to mention that every time she made a move she forgot to sway.

" Swing" Spyro pronounced again between a chuckle

Cynder exhaled irritated, there were too many eyes watching her, there were to many pointers saying what she should do, basically everything started to annoy her. Swing and swing and swing that's all she can hear " _I'm trying!" _her own scream echoed inside her head. They want her to swing she will swing, two clicks- step- sway, two clicks-step-sway, step forward- sway step backwards-sway, she's doing it right what the hell they want from her?!

She couldn't be more wrong, Cynder thought she was doing everything correctly but in truth she wasn't. Instead of moving fluently between the moves with a delicate sway of her body she made a step on stiff legs froze for a second and wriggled chaotically in place just like she would be shaking not dancing. She kept repeating the same pattern on every step she tried to follow. The growing annoyance made her clumsy moves even more worse looking than before, as she once again started her _swing_ on some next step a burst of laughter echoed throughout the room, the happy laugh coming from the two brothers drawn her attention instantly.

Cynder shot Spyro a furious glance, the moment he saw her stare he ceased his laughter. His mouth kept twitching as he tried to hold back his spurt of happiness, he kept dancing and bobbing his head slightly as if saying " _You are doing great_". A smile never disappearing from his snout as he urged his friend to continue the dance. Spyro increased the tempo and with a clap of his wings he spun around to look at her again while tapping a slower rhythm, the one she was familiar with.

With an irritated exhale of air Cynder continued this charade this time not even looking at her friend, allowing the rhythm to carry her. Two clicks, step with a sway- done, return in the same fashion-done, she heard the chuckles so it had to look hilarious but she no longer cared, she just wanted this to end. She forgot how to proceed after that so she started to improvise creating her own moves. There was no smoothness nor grace in it, a surprise really since in the air or during a fight she moved like no one else.

On stiff legs and not really fluent sways accompanied by the occasional laughs she continued her so called dance, a step here, a step there, a tap here, a click there. After a while the rhythm Spyro created intensified, with a corner of her eye she noticed that he was no longer dancing, he was intently focused on creating the music. She had no idea what she was doing but the tempo somehow urged her to do something else than just sidestep from side to side. She saw Spyro spinning once, and the rhythm somehow urged her to do the same.

" _What the hell_" Cynder thought to herself, it can't get any worse than it already is, besides it's just a simple spin.

She kept dancing, waiting for the right moment to introduce her new move. The rhythm had that one peculiar little pause, ideal for a spin. She began to listen intently not even noticing that she practically stopped dancing as her every muscle tensed in anticipation of that moment. Finally it came and Cynder with great determination spun around, but sometimes things don't work out the way you planned.

Instead of an effortless swift spin she found herself tripping over something, a feminine faint yelp could be heard before a thud echoed throughout the room. Merry laughing burst out the moment she collapsed on the floor, Cynder quickly pulled herself together and wriggled, like nothing ever happened.

" Dear Ancestors" Sparx muttered chuckling while looking at her through the fingers of his hand plastered on his face.

The rhythm somewhat wavered as Spyro continued to laugh, not that it bothered her, she was annoyed already as it is. Cynder began her own dance moving to an unheard music of her own creation, some stiff steps here, some chaotic and ungraceful sways there, every now and then a very slow spin and not even knowing when she created a choreography of her own. Laughs continued to echo throughout the room as she danced, but she didn't care anymore.

Cynder impulsively added some extra moves just to speed things up so this farce could finally be over. A jump, a swing of her tail or a flap of her wings, all these things made her clumsy choreography even more clumsy but every new move brought her closer to the end and towards her purple friend.

" When this is over I'm going to kill him" Cynder spun around noticing Spyro's broad smile when she stopped " And if you won't wipe that grin off your snout you'll be next" she hissed threateningly.

Cynder voiced her threat in such an intimidating manner that his smile vanished instantly with a gulp. After voicing her threat that sounded more like a promise Cynder pushed her dance into the final stage. Every part of her body was moving in her typical clumsy fashion, the tempo was quick forecasting the final moments of practically every song.

Step, sway, step, a swing of the tail, a flap of the wings, additional steps with the use of the previously mentioned moves and finally the last spin. As she completed the circle Cynder tapped her front paw on the floor sending a clear signal that the dance is over.

" That was…that was…" Sparx muttered lost for words yet with ringing amusement in his voice "…something I've never seen before" he grinned " This image will be stuck in our heads forever"

" Wow! That was nice!" the red drake emitted an excited and sincere shout

" What?" the dragoness and the dragonfly blurt out shocked

" I've never seen anyone dance before, it was so cool!"

" Dude you blind?" Sparx shook his head when he realized that he needs to continue playing the all- knowing boss. He cleared his throat " I mean…of course it was good! Only a complete dupe would think that it was a disaster! It pleases me to see that the tricks I've taught her aren't wasted"

" What else you have taught her?" the drake asked curiously

The question caught Sparx by surprise he planned to tease her with that little innocent dance but… an opportunity presented itself and his name wouldn't be Sparx if he wouldn't take advantage of it to annoy the black dragoness a bit more.

He grinned evilly " You have to hear her sing" with a corner of his eye he noticed Cynder balking " It will be something to remember I tell you! She has a voice of an angel"

" You must be kidding me" she retorted incredulously

The dragonfly frowned " What did you say?" Sparx replied with a faked anger, an anger suitable for a bossy thug

" I've said-"

He dashed towards the dragoness " Did I hear you whine?!" he blurt out like a drill sergeant

Cynder stared at him in complete silence

" Answer me Puppet!" he shouted furiously " DID YOU WHINE?"

Cynder narrowed her eyes on the dragonfly, her orbs blazing with rage. She began to like his plan less and less, he is putting her patience to a test, one prank ok but two…now that was exaggeration in her eyes. She really wanted to end this farce right here and now but she also knew that she is against a wall and Sparx is taking advantage of it, as sucky as this whole plan is she didn't want to risk it falling flat.

" No" she replied coldly, a delicate puff of green mist leaving her nostrils

Sparx furrowed a brow " No?"

" No"

" So you want to tell me that you didn't complain?"

She exhaled angrily " Yes"

" Then what you were trying to tell me?"

" Nothing, I've misspoke"

" Mhm" Sparx nodded " Misspoke you say" he leaned closer " What did I tell you about wasting my time hmm? I think I've told you that I hate when it happens is it correct? I think I've told you that this make me very unhappy, and we don't want to make me unhappy don't we now?" he baby talked her but tried to preserve the tone of voice typical for the bad crazy characters

The dragonfly annoyed her beyond imagination, Cynder had troubles keeping her maw at bay " I'm sorry" she mumbled

Sparx put his hand to the side of his head " What was that?"

" I'm sorry" she repeated in the same manner

He leaned even more closer still remaining in the same posture " I didn't get that, louder"

" I'm sorry" Cynder hissed

" I'm sorry what?" he waved his other palm in circular motion, urging her to continue with a simple gesture

" I'm sorry…" she was lost for words

" Ma…." He kept waving his hand

" I'm sorry Ma….Master" she hissed

" Almost" Sparx stated before continuing the previous gesture " I'm sorry gre….."

" I'm sorry gre…great Master" she finally finished the sentence with a little pause

" So how it goes?"

" I'm sorry great Master" Cynder hissed through clenched teeth

" Good girl" Sparx squeezed and wriggled her cheek, congratulating her on a job well done

Her eyes flared up with murder, if looks could kill the dragonfly would be dead on the spot. Not to mention that the green puffs wafting from her nose betrayed how exactly she felt right now. It didn't escape Sparx' notice, he quickly dashed into the air just to as far away from the dragoness as possible

" Begin…" his voice was wavering and lacked the previous bossy tone. Sparx quickly cleared his throat as he realized that not everything is as it used to be " Begin and don't disappoint me" he stated manly

Cynder exhaled letting go some of the anger, confusion however took its place momentarily , she doesn't know any song, she only knew that songs have some verses and a chorus, that's what she could tell from people she heard singing. However she was certain that she is no singer, her voice is far from being angelic. Cynder looked around the room for inspiration but found none, with no better option presenting itself she decided to improvise

" I see…" her voice was a whisper as she looked for words

"…I see a crumbled ceiling like the signs of disease spreading within my head,  
I see the blue sky like rays of sanity soothing…um…my sick mind" she mumbled with a shrug, it made no sense but who cares

" I see the debris reminding me of the state I'm in,  
I see the havoc telling me how I fare.  
All these things together make a picture of me  
that is made up and completely unreal"

Her singing voice couldn't be compared to angelic, it wasn't rich nor thin, it wasn't even rugged or choppy, truthfully it didn't sound like she was singing at all. She sounded like she was talking.

" I stand here not knowing what to do,  
Only thinking that the ending is long overdue,  
Since I'm doing things not meant for me,  
Singing words with which I disagree,  
While sounding worse than a banshee"

Time for a chorus, Cynder took a breath thinking what words to use but she was out of ideas but then a thought crossed her mind that she doesn't need to form verses, some immaterial words will be enough, the gaps she will fill with some ooo-ing

" Oooooooo…" the hum sounded just like that, she didn't articulate the vowel coming out from her mouth. The hum sounded more like a moan of a long dead zombie, a moan that forced a chuckle from the two brothers

" I'm lost for words….  
Ooooooo…  
It makes no sense  
Ooooooo…  
I hope it ends  
Oooooo…  
O-o-o"

The last stammered vowels triggered a heartily laugh from both brothers, she could only imagine how silly her moaning had to sound. Cynder had enough, she won't make a fool of herself any longer.

" I'm done" she hissed angrily

Sparx wiped a tear from his eye " I'll never forget this moment" he turned to face the red drake " Didn't I tell you she's not from this planet?" he smirked

The young dragon was looking at Cynder completely engrossed in her " That was great"

Cynder jerked back " Really?"

" Yeah you wish" Sparx retorted before focusing on the red drake again " One question dude, are you deaf?"

" I've never heard anyone sing before"

" You didn't?" the dragonfly asked surprised "Question again man, you lived in a cave or something all your life?"

The dragon looked troubled as if recalling a recent bad memory " No, not in a cave, close, but…" he narrowed his eyes on Spyro " Ask your puppet, he will tell you everything, Suffice it is to say, that I was assured a different kind of entertainment"

Spyro just stared at the drake with wide eyes, he never hurt anybody out of pure malice, whatever the drake is talking about he has to be wrong or confuse him with someone else, but who? He refers to purple dragons as the bad guys but there is no other dragon like him alive, only one of their kind is born every ten generations so how it is possible?

Sparx clapped his hands to brake the awkward moment " So how about something else? Our jester here will think of something won't she?" he threw a scornful glare at the black dragoness

" _Over my dead body"_ Cynder mused to herself, enough is enough, she will make sure that he will understand clearly that her patience has run but she will announce it in such a way that the red dragon will still think that she is the dragonflies' toy.

She smiled cheerfully " Of course my great Master I'm here to please but I have a one request if I may. You are known from your power but also from your generosity, will you allow this humble dragoness to share with you a lesson that she was taught while she was still a hatchling?"

Sparx furrowed a brow, he didn't expect her to react in such a way, it smells fishy but she has him against the wall, he is the powerful and generous Master after all.

" What…what you have in mind?" he asked with a wavering voice

" It's a little story passed in my family from generation to generation"

" A…a story?'

Cynder nodded excitedly like a child who couldn't wait to start reciting a poem in front of her class " Yes, it's about two creatures who knew each other for a very long time. The story tell us that there are even boundaries in such long relationships, that we need to be very careful not to cross or else we might regret it. May I start?" she smiled innocently

Sparx stared at her completely dumbfounded by her sudden enthusiasm " Of…course" he muttered

She bowed " Thank you Master, you are truly great" with that she cleared her throat and took a deep breath

" There were two creatures once,  
a lizard and a bug,  
one was yellow the other black,  
for jokes they had a knack"

" They always hanged out together,  
be it in good or bad weather,  
always finding time for a prank,  
that is both funny and somewhat frank"

" One day Will,  
that's the bug,  
played a trick on his buddy,  
which was incredibly cruddy"

" Because of that,  
on a darkest night,  
one could hear a bite,  
that sounded like a smite"

" After that the lizard Keith,  
picked something from his teeth,  
wondering what it could be,  
causing him a tickle and a sting"

" Oh, it's a wing!"

There was something in the way she pronounced the last sentence, she sounded like one of those crazy bad characters, her voice was cheerful but one could tell that her tone was ringing with malice. Not to mention that the way she narrowed her eyes on the dragonfly could send a shiver down the spine. Spyro looked at this brother and couldn't help himself but to burst out laughing when he took a glimpse of his face, he was staring at the dragoness with wide terrified eyes and gulping, he clearly understood the meaning behind her made up poem.

"Wow!" the red drake huffed with sincere awe " That was nice, she's good" he frowned thoughtfully " There is something about these two characters, I don't know why but I have a feeling that I know them from somewhere which is odd since I've never heard the story"

" It's a fake!" Sparx exclaimed loudly with horror filled voice " Don't bother yourself with it"

The drake tilted his head in confusion " I don't know… it sounds familiar but I can't really remember…"

" FORGET ABOUT IT!" the dragonfly shouted making the dragon balk " Focus on something else, like I don't know, how about you tell us how you got through that portal, or something more interesting"

" A portal?" the young drake asked confused

" Don't tell me you never saw a portal"

" That depends"

" On what?"

" How does a portal look like?" the dragon asked candidly

" You don't know what a portal is?" Spyro interjected before the dragonfly could respond

The dragon looked at him, instantly Spyro noticed fear in his yellow eyes. The drake stared at him as if looking for a correct answer " I do?" he mumbled tentatively

The purple dragon frowned " I don't know, you tell me"

" What sort of test is this?"

" Test?"

" How I'm supposed to pass it when I don't even know what a portal is!" the drake exclaimed but then his eyes went wide and he hunkered down just like a dog realizing that it did something terribly wrong

The dragon was acting really weird, he became more nervous the moment he focused his attention on him, Spyro didn't know what to make out of it but it has to wait. First things first, they've been sent here to investigate a disturbance regarding the Veils, questions for the dragon can wait.

" You don't remember anything strange? Like an odd feeling crossing through your body, or a visible anomaly in the air, anything?"

" I d-d-d-don't know, m-m-m-maybe…" the drake stammered nervously

" Dude relax" Sparx calmed the dragon " He is under my control. You are safe"

The young dragon took a deep breath " No, I didn't see or feel anything like that"

Spyro frowned thoughtfully, either the portal wasn't created by the drake or he is a very good actor, but judging from his look Spyro can exclude the second option. That would agree with Brill's story regarding the portals but that raises some questions, if these Veils are created as a result of the usage of tremendous magical powers at once as Volteer thinks then is it possible to prevent that from happening?. If that won't work, then is it possible to close those Veils before they pull out things from the time's clutches? They wouldn't want an army of golems like the one they recently fought on their heads after all.

Spyro made his way to the place where the golem appeared, he couldn't feel anything, there was no itching or tingling. He swung his foreleg from side to side but as previously there was nothing, no ripples in the air or anything like that.

" And?" Cynder approached him

" Nothing" Spyro sighed " There is nothing here, like the portal never existed. It had to collapse after dragging the whole building and all of its inhabitants with it"

She shrugged " Who wouldn't? A huge structure, a hulking golem and an odd looking dragon. My back hurts just when I think about it"

Spyro offered her a weak smile " If I only knew how to control them, the things we could find out…"

" Does it matter? The thing is gone and I say good riddance , no risk of another stone man appearing

" Maybe you are right…" Spyro sighed

" Of course I'm right" Cynder admitted " Who knows what could happen when they would turn out to be beyond your control"

" Yeah I guess, better to leave it this way"

" Besides there are more important things to focus on right now. I would like to know what the hell was that thing we just fought for example, why that golem was immune to practically our every attack. Secondly our naïve friend, I'm very interested to hear his story, I would really like to know what kind of dragon he is, his eyes, his wings, his whole form, now that's something you don't see every day, and most importantly I would really like to know why he hates you so much when I'm standing right beside you"

Spyro kept staring at the place where the portal was once " You and me both" he huffed thoughtfully " He seems to be afraid of me, why I have no idea, he acts like he knows me but how is that possible when I've never seen him in my life?"

Cynder scratched her choker " There is only one way to find out. Let's just ask him"

" He won't talk to me"

" No he won't but your good for nothing brother might pull some things out of him"

" Hey, I've heard that!" Sparx appeared out of nowhere in front of the dragoness pointing a finger on her accusingly

" Good" she replied bluntly

The dragonfly snorted

" Sparx" Spyro addressed his brother " You think that you could ask the new guy some questions?"

" That depends"

" Huh?"

" What's in it for me?"

Spyro furrowed a brow " What?"

Sparx waved his hand " Bro chill I was kidding, boy you are stiff. Make Second Tail dance for you or something, I'm sure that would cheer you up"

" After that the lizard Keith  
Picked something from his teeth…"

" Ok, ok I get it!" Sparx interrupted Cynder's recitation " What you wanna know?"

" Start with the normal thing" Spyro answered " What is his name, what kind of dragon is he, you know, the basic stuff"

" Sparx is here to save the day" the dragonfly announced proudly and clapped his hands " All right dude we need to ta…" his voice trailed off when he turned around and noticed that the young dragon is no longer there " Where did he go?"

Both dragons spun around at the sound of his voice, they began to look around the room wondering what could happen with the young dragon. As he observed the ruined scenery Spyro noticed a tip of a flaming tail disappearing up the staircase from which they arrived here

" Hey! Wait!" Spyro shouted after the dragon

Immediately the three friends dashed after the red dragon, he was lost and they don't want to let a strange looking dragon wander around, people might take him for something he isn't. They made their way up the stairs, the young drake had a bit of advantage but that only gave them more motivation to catch up with him. Step after step and soon first glimpses of light could be seen in the corridor, it was now only a matter of time.

As they finally left the room behind them they couldn't help it but to be struck but a slight dose of surprise, the dragon they've chased was right in front of them, his blazing tail waggling slowly. The drake stood in place, frozen, his back was facing them but even from here they could see his head moving slowly from side to side, up and down. It had to be quite a shock for the young dragon to see that the world he knew had changed dramatically, his past life, family and everything dear to him was now burrowed under the sands of time, the only thing that remained of his previous life was this crumbling structure.

The group slowly approached him, they knew he wasn't running anywhere now. The drake didn't even budge, he was standing in the same position. " What is going on?" the drake muttered as he heard their steps, not even turning to face them

" Welcome to the Dragon Realms" Spyro greeted him calmly yet sarcastically

The dragon seemed to not care who was addressing him right now, since he didn't even budge at the sound of Spyro's voice, as he was completely engrossed by the surroundings " This wasn't here before…" he muttered sounding almost delirious

" That portal we were talking about earlier? It creates a loop between the past and the present as if linking two realities together"

" I don't understand"

" Bro you spend too much time with Volteer, seriously" Sparx admonished his brother before concentrating on the red drake " Long story short- you jumped in time, don't ask why or how because we don't know"

There was a moment of silence " I still don't understand" the drake responded after a while

The dragonfly sighed " Who cares, dude you are free you can do whatever you want, everyone who gave you trouble are stuck from wherever you came from. Enjoy life"

The young drake balked and quickly spun around " What did you say?" he asked excitedly

Sparx frowned " Umm…enjoy life?"

The red dragon leaned closer " You said I'm free?"

The dragonfly threw confused glances at both his draconic friends but they had no answer to give him " Yeah… you are free" he shrugged

" I'm free…I'm free…I'm free" with each word the dragon's head was getting lower until his nose almost touched the ground. It was then when he quickly rose his head " I'M FREE!" the dragon roared happily. He began to run in circles and jump around constantly repeating the same words over and over again. After a while of displayed happiness the dragon stopped and frowned thoughtfully " But why?" he mumbled

Sparx shook his head as if snapping from confusion " What was that?"

The drake adopted a grim expression as he looked at the dragonfly " Why are you letting me go?"

" What?"

" Why would you grant me my freedom? You have no reason to…unless this is some kind of a trick, you want me to believe that I'm free so you can laugh at my stupidity. That's it isn't it?"

" No" Sparx said firmly " You never were my slave or anything, dude you are truly free"

" Why should I believe you?" the drake snapped " You are The Puppeteer, you could be controlling me right now"

" If I was controlling you, you would know that. A simple test if you don't believe me. Jump!" the dragonfly exclaimed like a drill sergeant

The red dragon remained still

" See? Now watch this" he pointed at the purple dragon " Jump!"

Spyro rolled his eyes and reluctantly leapt up

The dragonfly spread his arms " I'm not the bad guy here"

" Then why do you keep her as a slave? She doesn't deserve it" the red drake asked

It didn't escape Sparx' notice how the drake purposely didn't mention Spyro but he decided to leave the matter alone " They are not my slaves, I've told you already that they have their own free will but I command them because they are idiots! Without me they would go into a monster den to check what's inside. It's for their own good!" he nodded towards the red drake " Tell him guys"

Both dragons looked at each other for a brief moment before focusing their attention on their new guest " The Master is right" they both sighed

" Dude you are free, do whatever you want, go whenever you want, visit places you always wanted to see. Do… I don't know, anything!"

" Yay!" as the drake exclaimed his grim expression vanished only to be replaced by that of tremendous joy. He once again began to pounce around " That's right! There is no one who tells me what to do! I can laugh, I can talk freely, I can fly, I can visit places I always wanted to see, I can finally go to…go to…" as his voice trailed off so did his happiness

" …I don't know where" he muttered with dread " I don't recognize this place! I don't where I am! I don't know what to do! I don't…I don't…" he babbled hysterically

Sparx threw his hands in the air " Whoa dude chill, you can always come with us"

" i…" the dragon's voice trailed off as he threw a surprised look at the dragonfly " What?"

" Come with us" Sparx bit his lip, the dragon might take it as another order " Only if you want to of course" he quickly added

The red drake stared at the ground for a while but after a moment he launched his head upward and his eyes sparkled with glee " Sure!" he exclaimed and after that presentation of joy the dragon quickly made his way towards the dragonfly " So where are we going?" he asked eagerly

" Wherever our legs will take us friend" Sparx responded poetically

" Sparx ask him for his name" Spyro whispered

The dragonfly snapped his fingers " One thing before we go. What's your name dude?"

The dragon balked while he looked at the dragonfly, confusion plastered on his snout " Umm…Dude? he responded tentatively

" That's not a name d…" Sparx took a breath " Your parents, what name they have given you?"

" My parents..." the dragon mumbled and stared at the ground " I…don't know" he embarrassingly shuffled his paw along the floor " I…I… don't have a name"

" You don't have a name?" Spyro blurt out shocked

" No" the drake whispered sadly

The three friends looked at each other, how is it possible that someone has no name was beyond them. One thing was for certain, they can't leave it this way, it was then when Sparx snapped his fingers

" So pick a name" he said

The red dragon stared at him with confusion filled eyes

" You are free, how you want us to call you?"

The red drake looked around somewhat dumbfounded as if not knowing that to look for " The Red Dragon" he finally replied shyly

Sparx jerked back " No, that's-"

" Hero?" the drake interjected cutting him off, but seeing as the dragonfly shook his head he knew that it was a wrong answer " Fire element?" another shake " Kid? Freak? Slave? Bird eye?" every single time the dragonfly shook his head

" What's wrong?" the drake snapped " You said that I can call myself however I want!" he blurt out irritated

" Yeah but the things you've said…these are not names" Sparx responded abashed

" Then I don't know!"

The dragonfly raised one of his fingers " give me a sec" with that he flew between his two friends and mentioned for them to lean closer " You sure you want to bring him along? There is something very wrong with this guy, didn't we deal with enough craziness already?"

" Where is the problem? You are tagging along with us all the time, craziness is our day-to-day basis" Cynder responded with a smirk

Sparx just snorted

" We can't just leave him here" Spyro added " He is clearly lost, we gotta help him"

" Bro he doesn't even know his name" Sparx retorted

" So what? Let's think of something" he turned to look at the oddly looking drake " What name would be good for a creature that is an exception to every known rule, special and nobody thought existed?" he wondered

There was a moment of silence as the three friends were concentrating, after a while the eyes of the two brothers shot wide open as revelation struck them

" Flare!" they looked at each other and exclaimed simultaneously as their eyes met

Sparx turned towards the red drake " And?" he asked excitedly and impatiently

The young dragon frowned thoughtfully " Flare…I like it"


	22. Chapter 4 Book II

Chapter 4

" Can you remind me again why we won't be flying?" Sparx snorted irritated

" Because…" Spyro took a calm breath " we don't want to let people find out that we discovered something in the ruins they thought were abandoned, there is no need to start a panic. Besides it's getting dark, we will spend the night in the forest, far from prying eyes and that way we can keep a close look on our new companion, maybe get to know him better and in the meantime get some rest. That fight was tiring"

The dragonfly folded his arms" You've got it all planned already?"

" That's why Spyro is our true leader while you are just a sidekick pretending to be something more than you actually are" Cynder added spitefully

" Sidekick or not that guy behind us still believes I'm the boss here so you better watch it"

" I don't need to remind you that it's getting dark right? You know how hungry I become in the night" she began to rub her teeth " My teeth are already itching"

Sparx ignored the dragoness and focused on his brother instead " Bro you still think it's a good idea to bring that guy with us?"

The purple dragon nodded confidently " Yeah, why not?"

" Just look" the dragonfly motioned for the group to turn around

The red drake was quite a distance behind them, completely lost within his own world

" I'm Flare" the dragon introduced himself with a proud smile to some invisible person " What do they call you?" he muttered with a different tone of voice as if pretending to be someone else " I'm Flare" the drake responded with the previous proud smile soon after " Thank you for saving us, what do they call you?" once more he asked himself using even more different tone than before " I'm Flare" sounded the same response " What do…" he jumped to a side " I'm Flare" he announced proudly and pranced forward swaying his head and tail in a happy motion

" Any more questions?" Sparx whispered

" So what?" Spyro blurt out the question without any sign of uncertainty in his voice " He's just happy that he has a name, what's so wrong about that?"

" Oh yeah because jumping around the moment you hear your name made up by two guys is perfectly normal"

" Ok he might not be the perfect example of normality" Cynder added " He's a bit clueless and naïve but at the same time he is unique. I mean just look at him, I myself find him interesting"

Sparx sighed defeated " I don't know how you do it bro but you attract all sort of crazy"

" We all are crazy in our own way" she muttered quietly

" I just hope he won't burn down the forest with those wings of his" Spyro said cautiously

The dragonfly threw his arms aside " One way to find out" he turned towards their new companion " Hey dude…I mean Flare-"

" Yeah?" the drake perked at the sound of his name

"…can you turn down the heat a bit?"

Flare cocked his head to a side in confusion

Sparx shook his head and pointed at his wings " Your wings, can you extinguish them so you won't burn everything around you?"

" Oh these" the dragon flapped his fiery wings delicately " No, no don't worry nothing like that is going to happen I've learnt to control them, they are hot only when I want them to" he yanked his wings forward " Here, check it out"

" No there's no-"

Sparx' voice trailed off when Cynder passed by his eyes, she confidently made her way towards the strange looking dragon. She extended her paw, her foreleg was moving quickly at first but as soon as it got close to the flaming wing her moves slowed, just like a sixth sense would trigger in any living being when danger was close. Her paw was mere inches away from the blazing wing and no heat could be felt nor the usual mirage could be seen when encountering extremely hot places. With a breath of anticipation she reached for the wing.

Firstly she delicately nipped the wing with her claw and to her surprise it didn't went through the wing as she expected but instead it encountered an obstacle, just like she would be touching a wing of every other dragon. Cynder pressed her paw against the surface of the flame and exhaled a pleasurable breath, the flaming surface caressed the inner side of her paw with delicate yet very soothing warm, it sent a shiver through her entire body. She slowly moved her paw along the wing, the enchanting flames danced in her emerald eyes, she never thought that it was possible to touch a flame but in the world ruled by magic everything is feasible it seems.

Cynder couldn't get enough of the warm and the sight of the flames right in front of her nose and under her touch. The surface of the wing was extremely soft, no bones could be felt along the way like in her wings for example, as dangerous as these wings looked like from a distance they were extremely delicate when touched, she would never expected that. Deadly innocence experienced first-paw one could say. As she was about to reach the end of the flaming wing she could feel it getting a bit edged but still not in such a rough manner like the wings of any other dragon, it was only a tender edge indicating that the wing was about to end. She never reached that point, Cynder was so bewitched by the fiery wing that she began sliding her paw back along its soft surface.

" They are beautiful" she mumbled, her whisper ringing with awe, bewilderment and pleasure

" They are what?" Flare responded surprised and looked to the side where his second wing was left without any attention and examined it closely " It's a normal wing" he said forthrightly

" Normal is a wrong word here" Cynder replied in the same enthralled whisper " Your wings are special, you are special Flare"

He once again examined his lonely wing and shrugged, for him it was just a wing, there was nothing special about it. It perhaps looked differently but it was still just a wing

" I would never imagine that I would be touching a flame one day. The feeling is amazing" Cynder continued to whisper

Flare observed the black dragoness, glee and gratitude sparkling in his yellow eyes, nobody ever considered him to be special in such a way as she did, it was a pleasant feeling, one that he never experienced before. Someone was sincerely interested in him and seeing her fascination was enough of reward for him, it was a way to repay for her kindness even if he wasn't really doing anything special.

A sudden click and crunching of grass broke his concentration, he turned his head to see the purple dragon approaching. His slits narrowed on the draconic shape, glee disappearing from his eyes instantly, he impulsively took a step back, fear and hate rousing in him. Flare was so focused on the purple dragon that he completely forgot about the world around him, hate and fear overtaking his body more and more with each step the purple dragon made his way. That one thing was enough to impulsively flare up his wings with an intense hot flame.

" For fuck's sake!" Cynder squealed painfully as she jumped away from the red dragon the moment her paw got burned

Flare instantly turned his attention to the springing black dragoness, guilt roused within him when he realized that he hurt her, even if it was an accident " I'm sorry!"

" It's not your fault" she hissed painfully before shaking her burned paw " Shit this hurts" she hissed once more, this time more quietly so the red drake couldn't hear her

" I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Flare once more asked for her forgiveness

However before Cynder could answer Spyro was immediately next to her, he took her paw and cooled it with a bit of an icy mist from his mouth which forced a pleasurable moan from her throat

" There is nothing to be sorry for, it was an accident" she huffed pleasurably as Spyro's cold breath caressed her burnt paw

Flare observed the scene before him, not exactly sure what is happening, that purple dragon actually is helping the dragoness out of his free will, why? Then he was reminded of the strange bug-like creature- the dragonfly, he was his master so probably he taught the dragon to protect his partner. The whole situation was strange for the young drake, a purple dragon being whipped was beyond his comprehension but no matter how it looked like he still won't trust that dragon, not even a bit.

" Thanks" Cynder exhaled a breath of gratitude after the pain was completely washed away by his cooling mist, she watched the back of his head and mused to herself that she couldn't wish for a better friend.

Spyro raised his head and smiled, his amethyst eyes piercing right through her as they made contact with her emerald orbs. He was still holding her paw, not firmly but softly and gently like she would be made of ice herself. Cynder couldn't get enough of his purple orbs, time seemed to slow down for her, she felt like she was drowning in his amethyst gaze, a simple act of friendship meant so much to her.

All those romantic feelings for him she tried really hard to bottle up returned just like a boomerang, they roused her aching heart, forcing it to work at such a pace that threatened to break the clutches of her chest. Cynder didn't care, she wanted this moment to last, she wanted to hear him saying that he cared for her in the same way, she wanted to be with him.

Before Cynder could realize what is happening her neck was already craning towards him, her lips making their way to his, very slowly yet confidently and she just couldn't stop it, just like it was meant to happen.

" So can we go now?" Sparx annoyed shout broke Cynder's trance, as her senses returned to her she chaotically withdrew her paw from Spyro's gentle grasp and looked to the side blushing slightly

" I don't want to be here when one of these rocks decide to wake up and try to kill us" the dragonfly continued

" Where are we going?" Flare asked curiously

" To the forest my friend!"

" Oh, ok" with that the red drake made his way towards the hovering dragonfly

Spyro however turned his head to look once more at his female friend " You okay?" he asked tenderly, her well-being was more important for him than anything else

" Yeah…" Cynder huffed longingly " I'm fine" she muttered

He smiled, that was everything he wanted to hear " We better get going or Sparx might once again start playing our boss" with that and after making sure she was alright he started to walk towards the woods

She watched his swaying tail with aching heart, it demanded attention, it demanded the cure for its pain and there was only one mean for salvation " Spyro!" she shouted after him

The purple dragon stopped and turned around " What is it Cynder?" his question was ringing with concern

" I…I wanted to tell you…" Cynder mumbled nervously, she really wanted to speak her mind but she just couldn't, his eyes intimidated her, not even a bloodthirsty troll triggered such fear in her. She was terrified that if she would press the matter further she wouldn't find salvation for her heart but instead would present it to the kiss of death

She shook her head " Thanks again for the help" Cynder finally said waving her not so long painful paw and smiled gratefully, it was a fake smile, she had to struggle to maintain it.

" Don't mention it, that's why I'm here for" Spyro offered her a smile of his own before turning around and making his way once more towards the woods

She just stood there watching him with sad eyes, it hurt, it hurt so much to see him leaving without even a word of comfort, she didn't blame him for her misery, it wasn't his fault after all, nobody forces him to love her. With every such painful notion came the urge to tell him about her feelings towards him but the fear of hearing his discouragement overcame the ache, moments like these constantly reminded her that she would rather live in pain than in truth.

Cynder was so focused on her leaving friend that she didn't even notice Sparx hovering just next to her. The dragonfly observed her curiously, she seemed to be staring constantly at the same spot, he followed her gaze just to see his brother's tail swaying in the distance. With a frown his gaze returned to the black dragoness

" Fine piece of an ass huh?" Sparx asked with a girly voice

Cynder balked at the sound of his voice " Sparx?!" she yelped surprised

" These bulging muscles, that sexy butt…" he shivered excitedly and licked his lips" I could munch him" he continued to talk with the same girly tone

She frowned in disgust " Dear Ancestors Sparx, you are family get a hold of yourself"

The dragonfly cleared his throat and shrugged " What? Seeing how you were just staring at my brother I just wanted to start the conversation in the right way"

" What?!" Cynder exclaimed uneasily " I…I wasn't staring at him!" she protested nervously " I…I was looking at…" her voice trailed off as she began to examine the surroundings " I was looking at the forest wondering how big it is. That's all!"

Sparx folded his arms " You don't say? And here I thought you were interested in a very particular purple dragon…"

" You are delusional" she retorted quickly

He pointed a finger at her " You know what? I'm sure you are picturing yourself with him in that forest. You two all alone, taking a romantic walk in the forest among the singing birds, holding tails and-"

" This conversation is over" Cynder cut him off firmly and immediately made her way towards the two dragons, however after some steps she stopped and looked behind her shoulder " Seek help Sparx, you are sick" with that she quickly renewed her walk

Sparx observed the black dragoness for a while " Am I sis?" he muttered to himself before he began making his way toward the group of young drakes

* * *

They've entered the forest, just like before it was twisted and everything looked the same yet Spyro confidently led them through the nature's maze. They didn't want to run into Boven's inhabitants and since they knew this woods like the back of their paws Spyro decided to lead them in a completely different direction. They could just fly despite the things he said about panic, there is plenty of space in the air, people wouldn't see them but he really wanted to get to know the red drake better, most likely find out why he hates him so much, this also is a perfect opportunity to hone his survival skills and take a well-deserved rest. Everybody's a winner

Flare didn't seem to mind that they aren't flying, in fact he walked behind them in complete silence. However every time Spyro looked behind to check on the dragon he frowned thoughtfully, the dragon was not even paying them any attention, his head was constantly directed on the ground, only occasionally he rose his head to threw a quick glance ahead just if checking that he didn't lose them.

Flare's steps were uneasy and clumsy, he looked just like a child unsure of his surroundings as if he would be seeing the flora for the first time in his life. He took each step slowly, gradually putting his weight into his paws to crunch the wigs and grass below it, as if cautiously checking if it's safe to walk there. Every now and then he bumped into a tree, and every time he did that he froze for a second and stared at the brown trunk with wide eyes just to curl soon after and avoid it from a safe distance just like a scared dog.

Sometimes a fallen log blocked their path, Spyro and Cynder just jumped or walked over it but Flare always craned his neck to see what is behind it, as if checking if there a bottomless pit on the other side. Every time they had encountered such a log Flare always circled around it and always looked behind his shoulder at the ground near the fallen branch like he wanted to make sure nothing is chasing him before catching up with the group again.

Spyro constantly looked behind him at the sound of chaotic crunches and snaps of twigs, he wasn't the only one who noticed it Sparx and Cynder were also dumbfounded about this whole thing. However none of them said a word, they just exchanged silent confused shrugs and glances. Whenever Flare snapped a twig underneath his paw he jumped slightly, the noise seemed to constantly startle him, he always bit his lip when that happened just like he was thinking that he did something terribly wrong.

As they've made their way further into the woods they started to encounter bushes along their way, the red drake seemed to be shocked every time he noticed them. He always cautiously sniffed the little leafs as if they were some kind of flowers. Sometimes they even heard a startled gasp coming from the dragon when the bush shook and rustled suddenly, moved by some small animal or delicate gust of wind.

The woods began to get denser, the trees seemed to be forming a thick unpassable wooden cage around them. Even the rays of the fading sun had difficulties penetrating the protective green crowns above them. As they walked everything started to look identical, thick bushes started to block some of the paths, fallen logs formed patterns that were almost the same and no matter which direction they chose the trail looked like it was recently used.

Was it them walking in circles or perhaps the traces left by the children they had no idea. As time has passed Spyro started to admire the kids, they could find their way through this maze in such a young age without getting lost. That was a remarkable feat and they've accomplished it without receiving any special training.

As they ventured forward Spyro began to feel lost, he hasn't been wandering in an unknown wilderness for quite some time, such a long break roused doubt and the awkward feeling of being rusty " _Remember every lesson I teach you young Spyro, your destiny is tied to a prophecy. An arduous journey awaits you and nobody knows what Fate has in store for you. Try to learn something about everything and everything about something but don't forget that study no matter how thorough won't be much of an use without practice. Practice makes perfect, if you have a control over a certain situation you have already succeeded before a test has even begun"_

Ignitus' words rang in his head, the Fire Guardian wouldn't be proud knowing that he had succumbed to the will of his surroundings. The woods became dark, tight and unpassable, the trees seemed to arch just right above him, mocking, taunting and laughing at his powerlessness. This is the purple dragon who is meant to be the peoples' leader? This is the purple dragon who should be an example to follow? He can't even find his way through the damn woods. He is leading his friends in a direction not even the Ancestors themselves know what hides there, for all he know he could be leading the group straight at the village he wanted to avoid.

" So…" after a moment of another silent walking Flare's voice could be heard "… where is that forest?" the dragon asked while flicking away a bit of a twig that got snapped under his paw

The three friends stopped like hit by a lighting and slowly turned around, looking at the red dragon with an incredulous frown on their faces

Flare just looked at them back with innocent and clueless eyes, either he didn't notice their meaningful glares or didn't understand them. He just stood there like a curious child wagging his fiery tail slowly back and forth

After a while Sparx shook his head snapping of the surprise " Dude, can't you see the trees?"

" Oh…" Flare mumbled like he just realized what a stupid question he asked " Of...of course I see them!" he chuckled bashfully

" Flare do you know what a tree is?" Cynder asked, concern could be felt in her voice, just like she would be addressing an innocent child

" Yes!" the red drake exclaimed and looked around nervously " Umm…." His eyes widened and he jumped towards a nearby bush " This is a tree" he replied with a smile

The three friends just stared at the drake in complete silence

Flare could feel the weight of their looks at him, the smile vanished in a moment as he began to scan the surroundings, his eyes were impulsively drawn down where the little twigs were scattered on the ground. He picked one of them " This is a tree" once again he smiled

" Close" Sparx commented icily

His fiery wings flattened on his back just like ears of a dog, shame and insecurity filling him. He looked around and noticed a sturdy looking woody something, his eyes traced along its surface quickly just to see some the things similar to the one he held in his paw above him, yet more larger. He swallowed and delicately nodded his head towards the trunk " This is a tree" his voice barely a whisper

Sparx threw his one arm with a clenched fist in the air " Score!" the dragonfly exclaimed

Flare offered them a weak smile before bending on his paws and taking some steps backwards while wagging his tail nervously, just like he tried to make himself invisible.

" Flare" Cynder addressed him in the same kind tone as before " How is it possible that you don't know how a tree looks like?"

" Because I've never got the chance to see one, I've been locked up all my life!" the red drake responded throwing an accusing glance at the purple dragon

It didn't escape Spyro's notice, he frowned " Why do you blame me for everything? I hadn't done anything to you"

Flare threw an angry and scared glance at the dragonfly " Why do you allow him to talk without permission!?"

Sparx shrugged " Freedom of speech"

" Spyro didn't do anything wrong" Cynder interjected " He is the good guy here, always ready to help. He is a friend one could always wish for, he would never do things you accuse him of, to you or anyone else for that matter"

" They always seem that way in the beginning" Flare growled " They play nice but before you know it you become a toy that was fooled all its life. You are blind like I was, like everyone else was, the sooner you realize this the better, at least you won't let them toy with you anymore"

" I'm not blind Flare" she disagreed gently " I will stand beside Spyro no matter what, the things you say are not true. If you knew what I know you would see that. You can't tar everybody with the same brush"

Spyro observed his female friend, a grateful yet somewhat embarrassed smile was plastered on his snout. He knew about her unyielding loyalty and friendship but being reminded of that aloud sent an pleasurable pulse through his heart

" Because of the dragons like him I've never got to see the outside world!" Flare roared angered and saddened " Every day, every single day I had to fight for my life. I've never had any friends, I've never even talked with the other dragons. We were prisoners, we fought for our life, do you know how it feels to know that when you open your eyes you will have to gut your room-mates so you can see another day?"

Before Cynder could answer he continued " I fought them, I killed them, I didn't like it but still I've slaughtered them without remorse because I knew that when I would lose, death awaited me. If I tried to run, death awaited me, If I disobeyed an order, death awaited me, If I would rise a paw on my trainer, death awaited me"

He winced, squeezing his eyes tightly but even that didn't prevent the glowing tears forming in the corners of his yellow eyes " You can't imagine the things I've done for their amusement" he muttered sadly " For them it was just a show, for me it was survival. I don't deserve to be free after everything I've done"

An awkward silence has befallen on the group as they watched the cast down dragon with painful eyes

" I'm sorry" Cynder finally whispered agitated " But I believe you were saved form that fate for a reason, and you know why? Because you truly regret the things you've been forced to do, you know they were wrong, it was a kill or be killed situation, you had no other choice. Flare it shows that you have a good heart, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Believe me I know what I'm saying"

Flare looked at the dragoness and sighed somewhat longingly yet quite painfully at the same time " I was like you once, I knew someone who I could trust, at least I've thought so. He showed me the difference between right and wrong, he told me to never give up, do the things I did but take no joy from it because then I would become like the rest of them. He told me that I'll be rewarded for the whole pain one day. His lessons were entirely focused on the moral aspect of my deeds, he never taught me how a tree looks like for example or how to tar everybody with the same brush"

Sparx cleared his throat " Actually…this whole tar thing is an idiom, you don't…" his voice trailed off when he noticed a pair of scoldful purple and green eyes staring at him. He waved his hand " Never mind"

Flare sighed once more, a tear splashed on the grass below " In the end he betrayed me and became like the rest of them, but…but I've never forgotten his lessons, I swore that I'll remember them no matter what happens" he rose his saddened eyes " You might be more lucky, you have a generous Master who won't allow your so called friend to betray you"

" About that whole _Master_ thing-"

" You are absolutely right about me!" Sparx interjected cutting Spyro off

The purple dragon frowned and leaned closer " We can't lie to him forever" he whispered

" Bro chill it's a harmless lie, he isn't the first one I've tried this trick on" Sparx whispered and threw his brother a meaningful glance " And they've turned up pretty well"

" Someone very wise once told me to leave the past behind where it belongs" Cynder said quietly with her eyes twitching slightly as she tried to hide the fact that she fails to follow that advice herself " Maybe you will have better luck than some people…"

Her words piqued Flare's interest " Leave the past behind? How?"

" You mentioned some kind of reward right? So perhaps your jump in time was exactly that reward"

" What do you mean?"

" Look. Once you were a dragon who was forced to do terrible things, a dragon without a name who endured this horrible things despite the odds" she took a breath " Now after all this time you traveled in time and received a name. Like you've been born anew, the dragon who fought for survival is gone replaced by the dragon named Flare. You have a clean slate, it's up to you how you fill it"

Flare looked around, he examined his paws, wings and the surroundings after that he looked at the black dragoness with confused eyes " I don't see any clean slate"

Cynder giggled and smiled gently " It's an idiom, it means that your past actions, your former life is forgotten and you now can start everything from the beginning"

His eyes widened, hope sparkling in them " Really?"

She kept smiling and nodded " Really"

" Yay!" Flare exclaimed childishly while slightly pouncing in the air, but after a while he started to look around in confusion once more " But I don't know how to start" he muttered sadly

" Every new meeting starts with an introduction. What's your name?"

" Flare!" he blurt out excitedly

She touched her chest " I'm Cynder" she pointed at the dragonfly " That's Sparx" he waved at the red drake. " And this is Spyro" the purple dragon nodded.

Cynder noticed as the red drake narrowed his slits on the purple dragon and took a cautious step backwards " You know also what is the meaning behind introductions?" she asked gaining the attention of the odd drake " It means that you can't mistrust people just because of their looks, give them a benefit of the doubt and perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised. Don't judge at first glance, this is the worst mistake someone can make, there is always more to people than meets the eye. Don't start your new life Flare by making enemies, leave the past behind like it never existed"

The red drake observed Spyro, Cynder could see as he was battling with his thoughts and bad memories, as bad as it looked like it was in fact a good sign, at least he was taking her words under consideration. Whatever his been through must have left a bitter scar on his soul since a long while had to pass to see him finally reaching a decision.

" I don't trust you Spyro but I will tolerate you, don't count on anything else" Flare finally said, his tone betrayed glimmer of uncertainty

Spyro nodded " I understand, thanks" he didn't but it was better to leave it that way

" Great, good decision Flare" Cynder patted the young drake's back " If we are going to travel together we have at least be able to stand each other" she smiled " So with that out of the way, how else do you plan to fill your clean slate?"

Flare didn't thought for long, he instantly looked at the brown trunk next to him " So this is a tree huh?"

" Yep. And what do you think?"

He eyed the trunk from top to bottom " Big" he finally stated the obvious

Cynder giggled

" Umm… does it do anything special or it's just for blocking our way?"

" Trees produce air, without them we would suffocate, so as you can see they are rather important"

Flare frowned " Only air? Nothing else?"

" Dude it does a lots of other things!" Sparx joined the conversation the moment he made his way towards the tree " For example if you press your head to its trunk and listen intently you will hear it drinking water it accumulates through its roots in the ground." He couldn't help himself, seeing the dragon's cluelessness and naivety only forced him to make up a stupid fake story

The young dragon pressed his head to the trunk " I don't hear anything"

" Sparx seriously?" Spyro rolled his eyes

" Silence!" the dragonfly exclaimed with a commanding voice " Your Master is speaking now" he turned towards the red drake " Then you have problems with your hearing dude…"

Cynder approached Spyro and leaned closer " What is he doing?" she whispered

The purple shrugged " Selling crap" there was no response, he turned around to see her confused frowned expression " When we were young Sparx always kept telling me his own made up stories, I was quite naïve back then so I believed in everything he told me. Sparx likes jokes and if he can make someone believe them while making a fool out of that person all the better"

"…if you dig deep enough you'll reach the water eventually" Sparx continued to fool the red dragon

Flare following his advice kept tearing the bark from the trunk

" Put your heart to it! Go! Go! Go!" the dragonfly encouraged the young drake

" I can hear something!" Flare announced after a while and pressed his head to the trunk " It sounds like…scratching"

Sparx frowned in surprise but shook off the confusion second later " You are close! Keep going!" he urged the dragon despite his consternation, he had no idea how the drake could hear anything, he made this whole thing up after all

Flare kept digging farther into the trunk, his claws made short work of the wood. After a while he encountered a piece of the tree that looked differently than the rest. That particular piece of wood was darker than the rest of the trunk and seemed weaker. However the scratching coming from that part was louder than anywhere else.

Flare nipped the wood with his claw, to his surprise it went clean through, effortlessly. He pressed his paw against the dark wood and pushed, the woody part cracked inwards leaving a big hole in the trunk. Flare's eyes went wide, not because of joy and excitement but of horror and shock.

Instead of water a swarm of tiny white worms poured forth from the hole, he didn't find a source of the water but a lair of termites. The swarm of slithering worms sprawled on the ground below, complete terror overcame Flare when the worms reached his paw. He screamed loudly and momentarily dashed to the other side of the forest leaving a trail of dust hanging in the air behind him

" Would you look at that" Sparx stated in amazement " he actually did hear something" he waved at the pitifully hidden red dragon " Come check it out!"

" N-n-n-n-no!" Flare emitted a stammering terrified shout

" Dude chill they are harmless"

" L-l-l-let's g-g-g-go!" the dragon emitted a wavering shout and without waiting for any response darted quickly farther into the forest

" Flare wait!" Spyro shouted after the fiery dragon but when he noticed that there was no reaction from his side he dashed after the drake with his two friends following in his wake

Snapping of twigs and occasional grunts of effort echoed throughout the woods as the three friends were chasing a single red dragon. The forest became quite dark after all this time, they would most likely lose the dragon in the nature's natural maze if not for the light Flare's blazing parts emitted.

" Flare!" Spyro yelled once again but as before there was no reaction.

He wasn't constantly running in the same direction, every now and then he changed the path. Flare's turning, the logs and other things blocking their way confused Spyro even further, he had a feeling of being lost when he started his pursuit some time ago but now he was certain of it

" Flare!" Spyro yelled again, louder tis time but still there was no reaction

" I'll get him" Cynder panted next to Spyro

She kept running but at the same time she channeled her dark energy fueling her Shadow element. The air in front of her began to distort and shake, the shadow encasing the forest acted like it heard her call, it began to swirl, opening itself for its Mistress, inviting her in. She compelled, such an interesting invitation cannot be refused. Cynder ran directly into the swirling black mass and disappeared within its bowels

" I'll never get used to this" Sparx muttered under his breath

Flare kept running, not even looking back. He wanted to be as far away as possible from that tree, only something really unexpected would make him stop

" Flare!" Cynder shouted the moment she appeared in front of him out of nowhere

His eyes shot wide open at the unexpected sight, the sudden appearance of the dragoness drew a startled yelp from his throat and forced him to cease his escape. He firmly thrust his claws into the ground, tearing off grass and patched of dirt as he slid. He managed to dispose of his momentum right before their snouts, it was then when he landed on his butt.

Flare looked behind his shoulder just to look at her moments later while cocking his head slightly " How did you get here?" he mumbled shocked

Cynder smirked " I'm just full of surprises"

Soon after the rest of the group caught up with them " Dude you are fast" Sparx panted " What's gotten into you? You act like you've seen a ghost"

" I don't what to talk about it!" Flare snapped, his voice rang with fear and anger at the same time

" Whoa chill, if you don't want to talk-fine"

He stared at the dragonfly, the anger seemed to slowly vanish as he began to realize that he directed his ire at the wrong creature, the dragonfly is the Puppeteer after all

" I'm sorry" he mumbled like a meek heel hound

Spyro frowned after seeing Flare's reaction and turned towards his friends " This whole lie about the Master and all that crap has to end" he whispered irritated " Just look at him, he thinks you are the powerful Master Sparx, he won't be able to leave his past behind when you constantly remind him of his trainers"

" I agree" Cynder's angry yet compassionate whisper joined with Spyro's " You have to end it Sparx"

" But I'm not doing anything!" the dragonfly blurt out an indignant whisper " When was the last time I've played the boss card?"

" Like some minutes ago but it doesn't matter" Spyro commented " You remind him of bad times, it has to end"

" What makes you think he won't run away again? He'll find out soon enough anyway, let's just wait till we get to Warfang"

As much as Spyro hated the idea of lying to their new companion further, Sparx had a point. The fake story behind the almighty dragonfly might be the only thing that is keeping the drake with them, not to mention that Sparx might be the only thing preventing Flare from attacking him. He said that he will tolerate him but who knows if he wouldn't snap if he knew the truth, it was not worth the risk, better to wait a little longer. Cynder's expression spoke volumes, she obviously came to the same conclusion

" Ok fine" Spyro agreed " But the moment we get to Warfang you tell him the truth"

Sparx shrugged " Sure, one question though. You know where we should be going? We better not run in anybody if we want to keep this boss thing believable"

Spyro looked around the dark forest, they've been chasing Flare for quite a while, the fiery dragon led them into parts of the forest that were definitely not the ones they were looking for if they wanted to leave the woods unnoticed. That was certain, the problem now was to find the correct route, they might be returning to Boven for all they know. It was time to remember the lessons Ignitus taught him, the Fire Guardian in all his wisdom prepared the young purple dragon for any situation. They need to rest but now it was time to regain the control of the situation.

" I do" Spyro replied confidently and marched forward into the black forest with his companions following him


	23. Chapter 5 Book II

Chapter 5

_He kept looking around as he followed the big red tail, the scary looking dark trees seemed to part before his Mentor. In this cover of darkness he could hear them screeching and rustling as they returned to their former positions behind him as he made his way after the red dragon. The trees seemed to observe him, looming above him like an executioner, they long branches prepared to make the final swing to sever his head from the rest of his body. Even the tiniest rustle and the most delicate whizz of the wind made his blood freeze, he could swear he can hear the branches of the trees snapping all around him, as they slithered just beyond his eyesight preparing themselves for the quick and unmerciful lunge to end his young life._

_Wanting to learn more about his heritage excited him, his natural burning curiosity encouraged him to press forward into the unknown, he is the dragon from the Prophecy, destined to do great things then why he has to go through all of this ordeal when in the end he will still fulfill what was written who knows how long ago?! Why he can't just rest and fool around with his brother and wait, wait for the right time when he has to act, he will win anyway so what's the point of walking in places that give him the creeps? Destiny cannot be changed right?...Right?_

_Even if he has to prepare himself for the future-fine, training session practically all day and night, practicing on dummies, flying, elemental powers session, he can cope with all that effort but he never signed up for this! If he is meant to fight all those bad guys one day then why does he have to venture into such a dreadful forest? He just wanted to get out of here, even if he knew that his Mentor has a different plan for him, sometimes he didn't understand the red dragon, or perhaps he just couldn't with these trees all around him, waiting for him to stray just a little so they cold snap his neck. He shivered but at least he wasn't alone, his heart pounded at his chest and he could barely control his breathing but he knew that nothing will happen to him with the Guardian around. He might not understand his Mentor sometimes but that doesn't mean he can't trust him._

_He kept looking around " Ignitus what are we-" he was cut off by a sudden snap, he quickly spun around and hunkered down shivering uncontrollably. Nothing came, however the red tail never stopped moving, he dashed after it and followed the tip, bent down and constantly looking around like a terrified dog " What are we doing here?" his voice wavered_

" _Are you scared Spyro?" The Fire Guardian asked, as if he couldn't tell from the sound of his voice. Ignitus' tone was calm and imperious, no wonder the trees obeyed him_

" _No!" the young drake blurt out, he tried to sound confident but the stifled scream torn from his throat by some sudden snap moments later resolved any doubts " Yes" he confessed_

_The Guardian remained silent as he always became during training sessions. The strict and harsh mask of his Mentor wasn't Spyro's favorite but he knew that Ignitus took even the smallest practice very seriously so when it comes to training there is no room for slack. That would make many other students hate the old dragon but he wasn't one of them, Spyro knew also Ignitus' other side. The one that he demonstrated when they had a day off, and Spyro enjoyed that part of the Guardian's personality beyond every imagination, a personality he somewhat missed when he found out that Flash and Nina aren't his biological parents, he missed the touch of a draconic father. Both parts of Ignitus' personality were like two sides of a coin, put together formed a caring yet disciplined warrior he was now. _

" _Where are we going?" Spyro asked after a moment of silence, worry and fear still controlling his body as he followed the red tail on bent paws_

" _Somewhere where you will unlock another possibility to make your Destiny fear you" Ignitus replied in the same tone of voice as before_

_Not only The Guardian gave him an unclear answer, he also remained perfectly calm. Spyro couldn't understand how he does it while being surrounded by this thick darkness that seems to want to devour them. If this is a trick of his Destiny then he have no idea how he can possibly make it fear him when it already scares him to death as it is_

" _Aren't you afraid?" the young drake mumbled while constantly looking around and clinging to the tip of the Guardian's red tail " This forest is scary"_

" _No, I'm not"_

_Great, when Spyro confessed that he was terrified he thought that his Mentor felt fright as well, he hoped for even the most teeny-tiny feeling of fear but Ignitus' response extinguished that tiny spark of hope momentarily. Now he not only feels stupid but also embarrassed, he swallowed, what can his Mentor possibly think of him? The red dragon confidently walks into the darkness while he clutches to his tail like a newborn hatchling, time to change this._

_With the last gulp Spyro straightened up, holding his head high and narrowing his amethyst eyes as if trying to penetrate the darkness, as if challenging it for a duel. He no longer was interested in the tail in front of him, instead he focused either on the back of his Mentor or the darkness around him. The forest wants him to be tough, he will be tough. Spyro began to walk confidently, slowly at first but soon he was following the red dragon at a normal pace._

_He was surprised himself to tell the truth, no rustle nor even the thrilling murmurs scared him. "_Take that forest! Who is scary now_?!" the young dragon taunted the woods in his mind. He is the winner here and no stupid tree will tell him otherwise " _Purple Dragons for the win, hell yeah_!" Spyro's voiced cried within his head._

_His illusion of domination was dispersed before he knew it, just like the forest heard his thoughts and wanted to retaliate for his taunts. Suddenly a powerful wind sprang up, not only it created the most scary noise he ever heard but also rustled wildly every possible bush, leaf and branch. Spyro despite his brace face shivered, he might be able to cope with the noise at some point but the moving shadows were beyond his league. He could swear that something was moving there, rippling the thick darkness just at the border of his eyesight._

_Spyro remained silent despite the odds since the waving red tail in front of him still retained the same confident sways. Either he was imagining things or the Guardian ignored the threat completely. Whatever the case may be, the young purple dragon was scared to death_

" _I am" Spyro finally voiced his feeling once more time after a while, he didn't have to really do it since his quick shallow breaths and wavering voice clearly indicated in what state he is in_

_Ignitus as previously remained silent_

_This was enough proof for Spyro to tell that his Mentor had turned off all of his fatherly feelings for him, this means only one thing- he is in trouble._

" _Ignitus let's get out of here" Spyro muttered, he knew that it is a fool's hope to believe that the Guardian will listen to him but that didn't prevent him from trying_

" _Such outcome is not currently possible" the red dragon replied without even the slightest hint of emotion_

" _Pleeeeeeease" the young dragon prolonged this one single word pleadingly_

" _War doesn't know mercy nor forgiveness" _

_Of course it doesn't…why should it? It's not like Spyro wanted things to be a little easier after all. There were times when he hated the prophecy and everything related to it, this was currently one such time. He wished he could quit, just like that and return to his home in the Swamps, he should never leave his home in the first place. He hated this whole prophecy thing, he hated destiny and more importantly he heated that Cynder who started it all._

_She ruined his life and most likely many others, only thinking about her made him angry. She has no right to destroy so many lives! Whenever he thought about that villain and the things she had done quenched his resignation and fueled him with renewed determination. She is a dragoness who is fighting not only the other races but also her own kind. _

_How can someone kill people so willingly? What happened to conscience and remorse? Thinking about so many lost innocent lives made Spyro impatient to say the least. Even if she is his own kind he doesn't want to have anything to do with her. He met dragonflies who didn't show respect back in the Swamps just like her, and even years later those dragonflies were still mean to him._

_People like that don't change, only a blind fool would fall for that trick. Spyro wished that his training would finally be over so he can get out there and save all those people from the vile dragoness' wrath. They did nothing to deserve such fate_

" _How long are we going to stay here?" Spyro asked with impatient determination. He was still clinging to the red tail in fear but that didn't prevent him from reminding himself of his cause_

" _Until you reach your next level of advancement" the Guardian responded in his usual manner_

_Another cryptic answer, Spyro knew what it meant. Firstly- Ignitus won't answer any further questions regarding this situation until he himself will see fit when the right time came to unveil the mystery. Secondly- a training session he won't forget for his entire life is being prepared, the lesson which will soon begin_

_Spyro followed the red dragon farther into the forest without speaking any word, he became silent but the wood didn't return the same courtesy. The scary sounds which accompanied them from the very beginning were still with them. Spyro couldn't see where he was going, he was glad that his Mentor is here with him, he can't even begin to imagine how he would feel when he would be left here all by himself. _

_The thick darkness seemed to encase them and with each step they made Spyro could swear that the darkness was drawing closer as if preparing itself to swallow them. His mentor was unmoved, the old dragon had a goal, a destination to reach and no trivial darkness will stop him from reaching it. As they kept progressing onwards Spyro felt more and more confused, he could barely see anything and the forms that he actually manage to spot didn't really differ from one another, Ignitus might as well lead him in circles and he wouldn't even tell the difference._

_The red dragon however still strolled through the black maze just like the darkness didn't exist for him. How Ignitus could see anything was beyond Spyro's understanding, but since his Mentor was still retaining the same pace then he must know where he was going. _

_Countless time has passed but eventually they march came to an end, Spyro kept looking around that he didn't notice the Guardian's abrupt stop. Spyro only realized what is happening the moment he bumped into the red dragon's tail. Ignitus turned around and focused his intelligent eyes on the young dragon._

" _What are we Spyro?" he asked completely unconcerned by this little collision_

_The question caught the purple dragon by surprise, his pupil was watching him with big, confused and scared amethyst eyes " Dragons?" Spyro muttered bashfully after a moment_

" _And what are dragons?"_

_Ignitus never made it simple for him, besides the common physical work out, he also constantly put his mind to the test. Being able to fight properly was important, but the ability to think was even more so. Just like in combat you sometimes face opponents who are stronger than you, so in intellectual confrontations you are given questions that you don't know an answer for, but that doesn't prevent you from trying to find a solution._

_Of course sometimes you are unable to find the key on your own, in such cases yielding is not a shame. It's the teacher's sacred duty to pass the necessary knowledge to their pupils, to help them to find a solution for their problems._

" _I don't know" Spyro admitted defeated after a time of an intellectual struggle _

" _Beasts Spyro, we are beasts" Ignitus replied, the tone of a strict teacher, yet a dose of comfort and pride could be recognized in his voice_

" _Dragons are animals, similar to the animals we eat" the Guardian continued_

_Spyro cocked his head " How? A deer isn't a sentient creature, at least not in the same way we are. A deer cannot think like we do, it doesn't have the feelings we do, it even doesn't know how to speak"_

" _True, very true. We dragons have the ability to learn and that is the reason we are more advanced as a specie. However if a newborn hatchling would be left unattended by its parents, the young dragon would succumb to its feral side that is extremely palpable in the first stages of its life"_

_That revelation was somewhat unnerving for the purple dragon " If luck wouldn't smile at me when I was an egg and my parents wouldn't find me then you want to tell me that I would become like one of those wild animals if I hatched far away from civilization?"_

_Ignitus nodded " Precisely. We are predators, beasts of nature and magic, hunting is in our blood" he took a breath and looked around " Some dragons decide to quench our nature, I prefer to nourish it. There are situations when your very survival or survival of those close of you will depend on your predatory instincts. To pass this test you will have to connect with your feral side"_

_Spyro observed his Mentor with a mix of nervousness and excitement " How do I do it?"_

" _You have to divest yourself from everything you've been taught as a hatchling, block your emotions, let your predatory instincts take control. We are dragons, the mightiest and most dangerous creatures the world has ever known. You are the hunter, everything else is prey, rely solely on your smell, hearing, sight and you will perceive things like you never did before"_

_The young dragon kept bobbing his had slightly " Ok…ok sounds simple enough"_

_The Guardian took a deep breath, a sign Spyro was very familiar with- a training session is about to begin " Cynder's forces are advancing through the countryside, you decided to make your way through the forest at the cover of the moon. With Lighbane's army surrounding you, your goal is to reach the village as fast as possible which is just beyond the forest and warn them of the incoming danger without compromising your position to the enemy. I'll be waiting for you at the forest's border, you have time till sunset" with that Ignitus turned around and began moving towards the darkness_

" _What are you doing?!" Spyro exclaimed horrified_

_The red dragon stopped and looked behind his shoulder " Take advantage of your predatory instincts, smell, hearing and sight will allow you to discover tracks which will point you in the right direction and warn you if you'll be heading in the wrong way. Pay attention to what nature's trying to tell you, you are a predator, a great hunter always listens to his patron"_

_The red dragon's words had no effect on the young dragon, the fear of being left in the woods completely alone effectively blocked any other point of focus " You can't leave me here!" he exclaimed once again_

" _Nature is a predator's true and only companion, to learn to listen to its call you have to be able to concentrate and solitude opens possibilities for such focus. Good luck" he began walking once more_

_Spyro dashed after his Mentor, grabbed and slightly yanked his tail " Ignitus no!" he yelled terrified_

_The red dragon stopped, Spyro could feel him shiver for a brief moment just like an electric pulse would ran through his body " This test Spyro, you will have to pass on your own" he said strictly, yet a barely noticeable hint of care could be heard in his voice_

_The young dragon kept yanking the Guardian's red tail " Ignitus I'm scared! Stay with me!"_

" _I know, that's why it is vital that you learn to block all the emotions that hold you back. You are the hunter Spyro, not the prey"_

_The purple dragon kept pulling the red tail as a child would pull the skirt of their mother to get her attention " Please!" he exclaimed pleadingly_

_There was a hint of fatherly feelings of concern in the old dragons eyes as he turned to face his pupil, but they were gone with a single blink " Spyro this is not a request" he admonished the young dragon " This is not some trivial work you can skip if you don't want to do it, this is serious. One day this training might once decide who will live and who will die. Imagine that the village you have to warn really exist, if you won't make it Cynder's army will slaughter every living soul there. Is that what you want?"_

_Spyro frowned and let go off his Mentor's tail, he doesn't want anyone to get hurt because he chickened out, yet there was that voice inside his head telling him that he won't make it " But-"_

" _There is no room for buts when life is at stake. You either do it or you don't" Ignitus cut off the purple drake_

" _But…but I don't know what to do!"_

" _You are the purple dragon Spyro, you will face situations which seem futile, frightening and incomprehensible, yet people will follow you because they know you will lead them down the right path. I won't be here always to guide you, one day you will have to manage on your own, you'll have to overcome fear and face what's in store for you because only that way you will learn that life is harsh and mostly without mercy"_

_Spyro lowered his head, Ignitus was right, like he always was, if he is meant for greatness what could people think if he got scared by a simple forest? Yet even that thought didn't disperse the fear, he tried to hide it but he was terrified of this thick darkness " O…ok I'll...do it"_

_The Guardian nodded in approval " Good, remember that you are not doing it for yourself but for the people. Follow the tracks, listen to the nature's call, it will show you the way" with that the red dragon renewed his walk yet before he disappeared into the darkness the dragon looked behind his shoulder " Do not follow me, I will soon take to the air and the trail will run cold. Till sunset remember that and good luck. One more thing before I go, you have a brain, make use of it " with those words the Guardian was gone_

_Spyro kept staring at the direction where his Mentor vanished, he didn't even feel when his butt was dragged to the ground forcing him to sit. Probably he couldn't believe what is happening, the turmoil inside his head took all of his concentration, he lost control of his body. He just stared in the same direction, the shock freezing him in place, he was here where he never wanted to be and he was in the position he was scared to be- completely alone. It was so easier when he lived in the Swamps, why did he leave it behind?'_

_A sudden loud rustle in the brush drawn him back to reality, with a startled yelp he was on all fours in seconds, claws digging deep into the soil. Spyro kept chaotically looking around. What caused that sound? Where it was coming from? Who's there? That and many other questions rushed through his mind as his terrified eyes scanned for the culprit. Another swish, the young dragon began to shiver when his head immediately turned into the direction from which the sound came._

_A loud snap came from behind him, Spyro jumped into the air as he spun around, dragging bits of dirt with him when he lifted his burrowed claws from the ground. He landed on shaking paws, not to mention that his eyes wanted to jump out of his sockets, they were so wide. The young dragon started to shake uncontrollably while whimpering like a horrified dog, the darkness was scary already but now when he is here all by himself it was even more so._

_Another rustle, another snap, another whizz, all those sounds were coming right ahead of him. Spyro kept shaking, the noise, the horrifying noise like the growls of the most evil of monsters echoed throughout the woods. It didn't want to stop, it came coming and coming without a single break, the young dragon impulsively started retreating while his eyes were fixed on the darkness ahead. With each step he made backwards the sound seemed to intensify, it even obscured the pounding of his heart and the strenuous work out of his lungs. He kept retreating while the noise kept getting louder, he could barely stand it and when he thought it couldn't get any worse it happened. The most terrifying howl of wind rustled the trees, just like a roar of the most deadliest of creatures. It was enough for the young purple dragon._

_Spyro screamed and ran, ran like he never did before, his scared mind created things for him that never existed. As he made his way through the woods he kept looking behind his shoulder while emitting terrified whimpers. There was something in that darkness, something vile and deadly and it was chasing him. Pant after pant he made his way through the nature's maze, no bush was thick enough, no log was big enough to stop him, his legs carried him forward while the creature behind him yanked the trees to every side like they weight nothing just to make space for its monstrous form._

_The constant looks Spyro threw behind his shoulder effectively let his focus drift away from the path ahead of him. After one such look he didn't notice a small branch which was protruding quite far from the ground, the moment he looked ahead his eyes shot wide open accompanied by a startled gasp. He tripped over the log and before he knew it he hit the ground snout first, that part of the ground was slightly steeper than the rest, resembling a delicate hill._

_The moment his snout hit the dirt he immediately started to roll down the elevation, between his grunts as his tail kept appearing and disappearing from his sight he could hear the many loud snaps when small twigs gave up under his weight and broke. The elevation ended with a delicate ramp, however he wasn't rolling down with enough speed to shoot from it, instead the young dragon simply fell from it._

_Bits of grass, dirt, leafs and twigs were thrown into the air when Spyro hit the ground with a grunt. He coughed after the impact and laid there flat on his belly, waiting for his sense to slowly return to him. His short moment of respire however was abruptly ended by the incoming roar of the terrifying beast that was chasing him. Spyro quickly found himself on all fours, he started to run forward but only seconds later he stopped, he tried that already and it didn't work, the monster was still after him. _

_Spyro started to scan the surroundings for an alternate solution for his problem, it was hard to discern any form thanks to the thick darkness. Eventually his eyes concentrated on the area he came from and it was then when he spotted it. The ramp he fell from looked like some kind of roof from the position he was standing right now, under it there was a cavity in the earth in form of a cave. It wasn't big nor wide, its far walls were formed from the roots of some big tree._

_It wasn't the best hiding place that's for sure, yet Spyro in his desperation couldn't think of anything better, it's either run where you are pretty conspicuous or try to stay in a pitiful hiding place and wish the creature won't find you. Spyro decided to try the latter option. The young dragon dashed and momentarily found himself under the ramp, he instantly made his way to the far end wall of the small cave._

_He hugged himself to the thick roots and dropped to the ground, his amethyst eyes fixed on the terrain ahead. The sound coming from the darkness was unbearable, sometimes it was far away just to echo right above him. Spyro couldn't take it, the fear overwhelmed him completely, he shook uncontrollably as he observed the scenery in front of him, the trees and bushes danced just like something tried to get past them and pounce at him seconds later. The young dragon's head dropped onto his forelegs and he closed his eyes, whatever is coming for him ,he doesn't want to see it, he won't give the monster the satisfaction._

_The noise came and went away yet he still kept his eyes closed, he had no idea how long he laid in that position but he never had the courage to open his eyes. Spyro thought that whatever was after him will eventually find him yet he was still lying there hugged to the thick roots, still in one piece. Time has passed, minutes or hours he couldn't tell, the young dragon was entirely focused on the sound that echoed throughout the woods, sometimes it was intense, some other time it completely died down. Another flow of time and he was still alive, something nudged Spyro that maybe the monster left, maybe he should check where it went, or at least figure out what's going on._

_Spyro laid there for a longer while, with the motion of opening his eyes nudging at his brain. This was it he's going to do it but first he started to listen intently, no sound could be heard that might be coming from that monster, yet he could feel on his snout a delicate gust of warm wind. Spyro swallowed and opened his eyes in one fast move of his eyelids, the moment he did that a snout of a tiny fox appeared in front of him. Spyro screamed at the top of his lungs, the animal bent on its paws and darted into the woods whimpering in fear._

_Spyro's scream died down after a while to be just replaced by quick shallow breaths, the pounding of his heart was almost deafening. How did the fox get past that monster? That thing was just right behind him. That animal stared at him, from the quick glance he could make at it Spyro noticed that it was calm even despite the horrible creature outside. Then he realized that the fox was scared by his scream, that he scared the animal and nothing else, the young dragon remembered his Mentor's words " _You are the hunter Spyro, not the prey_" they echoed inside his head pounding at his skull. If the fox was more terrified by him then maybe whatever is outside isn't that bad?_

_Driven by curiosity and his new found courage Spyro got up, step after step he made his way slowly out of the safety of the roof. He stopped just at the edge, one more step and he will leave his cover, the purple dragon took a deep breath and moved forward. Nothing, nothing happened, he felt like a tremendous weight has been lifted from his shoulder. _

" _Nothing!" Spyro emitted a stifled scream of joy as he scanned the surroundings, whatever was chasing him wasn't here, or it got scared by him just like the fox " Who's the predator now?!" he yelled, his voice ringing with pride and confidence like never before_

_As if listening to him another noise of rustling trees was starting to wake up but this time Spyro didn't budge, one quick stern look was enough to silence its roar, the rustle still could be heard but it was somewhat gentler. As he observed the surroundings he could notice delicate forms of animals moving in the darkness, the once scary monsters where nothing else than the wild life inhabiting this forest and all of them were afraid of him, he could smell their fear._

_A wicked smirk appeared on Spyro's snout, he calls the shots now and nobody else. A growl was rousing within his throat, but a growl was nothing compared to the thing he was about to do, something awakened within him, something feral that wanted to demonstrate its domination. Spyro let it loose, the young dragon roared, roared like he never did before in his life, the sound of his feral side even seemed to shake the ground. Life in the forest seemed to freeze for a little while and the moment his roar died down a havoc broke. Rustling of trees and bushes, snaps of little branches and twigs, whimpers and terrified caws of the many animals echoed throughout the forest. Everything was running for their lives and he was the reason why!_

_Spyro laughed, a mischievous and evil laugh that was but he couldn't help it, he was the monster now, it was time to give them a taste of their own medicine. The young dragon darted into the forest, didn't care where he just ran straight ahead roaring as he did so. As he made his way through the forest he could see animals running away from him, he kept chasing them roaring and laughing as he did so. Spyro kept doing it until his feral side was satisfied, the growing hunger to show who's boss here eventually died down and the moment it did he stopped._

_Panting Spyro scanned the surroundings, he could see the hazy forms of the animals darting into the darkness, yet he didn't chase them. Conscience waked up in him, the animals had to be terrified just like he was not so long ago and he knows that it wasn't the best of feelings. Besides it's not like they planned to scare him, this is the way the wild life works, the animals cannot be blamed for it. Spyro left them alone, it was wrong to harass them, besides he has a job to do._

" Oh no! The test!" _his own voice screamed inside his skull. Ignitus set a task before him and he completely forgot about it. His Mentor mentioned something about tracks, trails or whatever, signs of nature that will point him in the right direction. First things first, it was time to find some familiar ground, from there he can plan his next move, since he was running in a straight line it won't be hard to retrace his steps and find the table turning ramp._

_Spyro's deduction was correct, after a while he arrived at the familiar cave. The young dragon scanned the surroundings and wondered where to go next, he then looked up and spotted the ramp from which he fell. His feral instinct flared up within him, if something was chasing him, something big it had to leave a visible trail behind it, not to mention that it's scent should be hanging in the air. He sniffed, between his own sweat and the typical animals scent nothing else could be felt, if there was a huge monster chasing him then why he can't smell it?_

_Spyro climbed up the small hill and examined the surrounding area, his nose was right after all, there was nothing else here besides his own tracks. Just to make sure he examined them more closely, he was right, it was impossible that a huge creature would leave a trail as small as this one. Yes these were definitely tracks left by him and him alone, he ran his paw across a small log, some scratches could be visible on its woody surface, this was the branch he tripped over._

_The purple dragon looked ahead, exactly from which the supposed monster was chasing him and sniffed once more, just like previously he didn't feel anything. Spyro made his way up the small elevation, the only things he could discern were his own tracks. Torn grass, scratched logs and snapped branches which only a creature his size would break in such a way. Even if that wouldn't convince him, the clearly visible paw prints surely did. It goes without saying that all of them belonged to him._

_Yet Spyro was still pushing forward, and as always only his prints were visible. Even when he reached those trees that the monster seemed to flail like a pair of weathercocks remained intact. No broken roots, no torn out grass, not even a cracked trunk could be seen, everything was in perfect condition. The purple dragon frowned, how it was possible that a creature that big didn't damage anything. A single thought was nudging at his mind, that perhaps the monster didn't exist in the first place, that it was simply a product of his terrified imagination._

_Spyro however didn't want to accept the truth, at least not until he was completely sure. He kept going and going, retracing his steps and the farther he went he slowly began to convince himself that he made up the monster. He became certain that it was only an illusion the moment he reached the place where it all started, the place where he parted ways with his Mentor. The young dragon didn't encounter any trail on his way that would suggest that a monster was chasing him. With his predatory instinct and the gnawing curiosity sated it was time to focus on the task._

_It sounded simpler than it really was, Spyro didn't know what to do, his enhanced senses didn't find anything worth mentioning besides the trail left by the Guardian. He knew that Ignitus forbade him from fallowing him, yet he had no choice, even if that it was a certain dead end it was always a start. Spyro followed into his Mentor's footsteps, it's not like he has anything to lose anyway._

_To the young dragon's surprise the trail didn't run cold as Ignitus mentioned, in fact it was still quite discernable. A large paw print here, a scratched and broken log there, those were the signs that an adult dragon was passing through here. Spyro followed the trail for a bit longer but it just didn't want to end. " _Why is that_?" he wondered, Ignitus clearly said that the tracks will end since he would be taking to the sky soon. The young dragon looked up and his brows furrowed, if Ignitus would be lying just like he claimed he would then why the green crowns up there are untouched? It was impossible that the trees didn't feel the ascension of such a dragon._

" You have a brain, make use of it_" Ignitus' words echoed within his skull, it was then when realization struck Spyro, his Mentor fooled him! If the red dragon did really take to the sky there would be leafs everywhere and some light would illuminate the dark forest. Nothing like that could be seen, however the trail that supposed to lead to nowhere continued. Spyro with renewed determination followed it._

_After a long walk he realized that he made the right call, the trail kept going on, not to mention that the scent of the draconic scales intensified. Spyro increased his pace, he had a feeling he was on the right path, his senses warmed him up with their intensity, he could feel his Mentor out there somewhere. If he wouldn't trust his instincts then the sun rays piercing the crowns of the trees should serve as enough proof that the forest was about to end. Spyro started to run, he was running out of time if he hadn't already, even if Ignitus clearly stated that the test will be completed only when he finds him before sunset Spyro kept ignoring the rays. Soon after the forest ended and the first thing the young dragon noticed as he dashed from the woods was the silhouette of his Mentor._

" _You are late" Ignitus said without any hint of emotion while still remaining in his sitting position " Everyone had been slaughtered"_

" _I'm sorry" Spyro panted " I've tried"_

" _I know you did" the Guardian's intelligent eyes focused on his pupil " I see you've learnt something"_

_Spyro smiled proudly " I did! You won't believe the things I could notice. Next time I'm going to pass this test for sure!" he kept exclaiming_

_The old dragon nodded " Very well, you will have your next chance on another dusk. Instinct and focus, this is everything you need to find the right path. Remember that"_

* * *

Instinct and focus, after that harsh lesson he never forgot about them, he has still much to learn when it comes to tracking, he is not as good at it as cheetahs for example but at least he can find his way around a forest now, even if it takes him awhile. Spyro's companions kept asking him questions if he actually knows where he is leading them, or if he's sure that they aren't lost, he always gave them a short answer, a confirmation to comfort them. The memory, the past harsh experience led him and that was all that took his concentration.

After a quite long while Spyro started encountering signs that only showed that this part of the forest was never or at least wasn't traveled through for quite some time. It was difficult to discern his group's tracks from the tracks of the animals or Boven's inhabitants at first, he hasn't been tracking for a while, that break made him quite rusty. After walking in circles he eventually found the path which only wild animals used and led his companions that way. The tracking took them here, to the point where the crowns of the trees started to become thinner, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the ground, flowing water could be heard in the distance. It was a perfect spot to rest for the night

" We are here" Spyro announced

Sparx darted forward, examining the path ahead closely with his hand on his chin, then he dashed to every side and repeated the same thing before returning to his brother " An exit! How did you do that?" the dragonfly asked amazed

" Well… first you have to connect with your feral side, that will allow you to see, smell and hear things differently. It's quite simple from there now, whenever you begin tracking you have to-"

" Stop!" Sparx exclaimed cutting his brother off " I've asked of politeness I don't really want to know" he began rubbing his forehead " Damn my head hurts already"

Spyro sighed sadly

" But I do" Cynder said while she approached the purple dragon with a smile " Tell me how you did that it was great"

Spyro clearly brightened up when he heard her genuine interest, with a smile he began explaining to her the things which Ignitus passed on him.

After a slight turmoil, preparing some berries and such for a snack the group was ready to retire for the night. While the three friends were confident in their moves, their new companion was confused. While the rest of the group was enjoying their simple sweet treat Flare was staring at the fruits in bewilderment, they were so odd looking and so squishy. He would lie to himself if he said that they didn't rouse his curiosity, there was so much to learn about this forest, he sought counsel regarding the trees, this discovery he decided to explore all by himself. The red dragon lowered his head to take a sniff at the fruits

" Flare" a female voice calling his name caught his attention, he left the fruit alone for the moment and clearly perked when he noticed who was addressing him

" I've been wondering…" Cynder continued as she saw that the dragon was looking at her "…that thing that tried to strangle you. What kind of golem was it?"

Flare's eyes flicked at the purple dragon for a second just to return to the black dragoness for a moment " You mean you don't know?"

" No I don't. Why? Should I recognize it?"

" I thought you knew since you are traveling with…" and then the red dragon's voice trailed off. He reminded himself that it was not exactly his time since he jumped through that…portal or whatever it was. Now these two are ruled by the dragonfly and maybe he wants to keep some secrets, it wouldn't be wise to anger the Puppeteer by betraying them. " That was a Keeper" he finally stated

Spyro and Cynder exchanged puzzled glances between themselves " A Keeper?" the dragoness repeated the name surprised and confused

" Yep. Artificial slaves with only two tasks. Keep the prisoners in line and terminate them if they cause trouble. Oh yeah, and they are indestructible"

Cynder smirked " Somebody lied to you, we turned that thing to ruble"

Flare jerked back stunned " You destroyed it? How and why?"

" Why? We had no other choice, it attacked us, didn't you see how we fought it?"

The red dragon shook his head " No, the Keeper knocked me out" he focused on the dragoness once more" But when I saw that it was no longer active I've thought that you disabled it"

Both friends exchanged the same glances once again " We could disable it?" Cynder finally asked " How?"

Flare shrugged " I dunno, I've always thought that it was possible since everyone said they were controlled but you say that it did attack you." He shook his head sadly " I don't know what's true or not anymore. It's all messed up"

" Dude, stick around and you'll see things you never thought existed" Sparx commented with somewhat resigned tone

Flare picked one of the berries and looked at it, he didn't understand how he could stick himself but it was not important, the other half of the sentence bothered him " I can believe that" he muttered

" The unknown isn't that scary, you just need to explore, better to find out if something is bad on your own than not trying at all and being left in the dark. Discover new things and maybe they will be something you never expected them to be" Cynder comforted their new companions, while gently encouraging him at the same time since she his confused stare at the fruits didn't escape her notice

Flare sighed " Knowing my luck I'm not going to like those new things" he closed his eyes and after exhaling a short breath he threw the berry into his mouth. Wincing as if expecting something horrible to happen he squashed the fruit with his razor teeth. The moment he did that his eyes snapped wide open as the sweet juice caressed his palate

" These things are great!" he exclaimed amazed and with a lick of his mouth munched another sweet fruit

Cynder smiled " See Flare? It ain't that bad" there was no response, the young dragon was entirely focused on devouring the berries. She turned to her two other companions " One thing is bugging me though, why Flare? You spit that name like it meant something. So what's the story?"

Spyro smiled " It's nothing special, when-"

" Bro don't bother" Sparx cut off the young dragon with a pat on his purple head " To fully understand this show of brilliance Cyn you need a home, friends and family"

Cynder narrowed her green eyes on the dragonfly threateningly " And to fully understand life you need arms, lungs and a head. Keep pushing me and you are very close to losing one of those things"

Sparx turned to his brother while pointing at the dragoness with his open palm " See what I have to go through every day? With her around I always need to sleep with one eye opened"

Spyro sighed and shook his head, ignoring this pointless dispute " When we were kids Sparx made up a dragonfly named Flare who could do things nobody else could, basically he was special just like our new friend here"

Cynder watched the purple dragon with envy glistening in her emerald eyes. She was once again reminded of the void sucking at her from within. Hearing Spyro talk about his childhood memory filled her with sadness, she was happy of course that he had a good life, yet the loss of her own childhood hurt her.

Cynder smiled, she had a very hard time maintaining it " Nice idea" she whispered painfully

Spyro knew her long enough to recognize when something's bothering her, he also knew that whenever someone mentioned childhood she always lost the beaming smile he adored so much

" Cynder I'm sorry" he apologized sincerely

She waved her paw with a stifled giggle " Oh come on, some of us grow up among friends while others learn how to kill from the beginning. Hey it ain't that bad when you think of it, at least I know how to defend myself. Weaker sex my tail, besides you know how good I'm with people" she lowered her head, sniffed and winced " Damn I stink, I need a bath, be right back" with a troubled smile she made her way towards the path from which the sound of flowing water was coming from. As she walked she touched the pouch hanging from her neck to Flare's fiery wing and disappeared into the forest soon after

Spyro watched her go with eyes filled with pity…and something else. It was just like he watched her go when she left the Dragon Temple after he saved her all those years ago, minus the fainting. It was strange but he recognized the other feeling, it was yearning. She was leaving him only for a while yet Spyro didn't want to see her go, a part of him wanted to grab her black tail, pull her back and never let go. The other part wanted to follow her, yet both sides had one thing in common- the wanted the black dragoness close.

" Bro you alright?" Sparx asked worried

" I miss her" Spyro emitted a barely hearable whisper, it happened impulsively, just like his own heart would be speaking through his mouth

" What?" the dragonfly leaned closer and raised his voice to get a more clear answer from the dragon since he didn't quite make out the words previously

Spyro at the sound of his brother's raised voice was dragged back to reality, with a shake of his head snapped out from his moment of trance " Yeah…yeah I'm fine" he mumbled, his eyes constantly focused in the direction she went

* * *

Cynder kept heading in the direction of the sound of flowing water, in truth she just wanted to get out of there, she didn't want to let Spyro see her in this slightly depressed state, he would feel guilty and that was the last thing she wanted. The dragoness wished for something great and unexpected to happen that would cheer her up, but since you usually don't get what you want she will at least relax.

A moment of invigoration for her tired mind and sore muscles, not to mention that she actually did stink, being hurled into every possible object and a strenuous trek through the forest had to take their toll. After a short walk she had finally reached the stream, it was quite a sight in fact. Clear water was flowing downwards from a small hill which resembled a tiny waterfall. The water fell down into a pond, the liquid was perfectly clean, it reflected the moon in all its glory. No tree crown blocked the sky just like nature wanted to let moonlight shine in this particular place on purpose.

And shined it did, it was the brightest place between the thick darkness, just like an oasis in a vast empty desert. The silvery light illuminating the pond pushed all the blackness away. When Cynder gazed into the water she could see the reflection of her own tired and dirty snout. The water itself was inviting, like it wanted to embrace her draconic feminine figure.

Not even a delicate hint of protest crossed her mind, she accepted the invitation gladly. Cynder nervously wiggled the warm pouch Amela gave her, soon she will find out if it works but for now it was time to relax. Cynder removed the pouch from around her neck and placed it on the rocky ground just next to the water. She dipped her paw into the water and splashed the cool fluid on her snout. She emitted a moan of pleasure as the drips refreshed her tired snout while also moistening her dry lips and sore throat.

Cynder repeated the same move a couple more times before she decided that it was the right time to enter the pond. Firstly she dipped her right foreleg, her second followed soon after. Being bent like that she kicked with her hind legs pushing her body forward while spreading her wings wide to both sides. The moment the pleasantly chilly water embraced her figure it tore a blissful moan from her throat.

She relaxed for a little while before diving, Cynder pushed with her legs rippling the perfectly clean underwater scenery with her moves. She went lower in a straight line to at the bottom with one strong push turned her body in such a way that she headed directly upwards, two strong moves were enough to reach the surface. The moment Cynder resurfaced she emitted a pleasant gasp of air, water was dripping from her feminine body in streams, her moistened black scales glistened in the silvery light of the moon.

Wiping the remnants of the water from her snout Cynder slowly swam in the direction where she left the pouch. While still in the water she turned around and leaned her back against the stony wall with her wings spread wide open for support and protection from drowning. She closed her eyes listening intently to the sound of the flowing water, she was breathing deeply allowing her mind to drift away to some unknown place, far away from the turmoil of everyday life.

After a while of such relaxing time Cynder opened her eyes and reached for the pouch, from there she removed the warm familiar flask with the herbs within. She examined it closely for a while.

" Here goes" with that Cynder uncorked the flask and sniffed " Whoa" she mumbled when the strong aroma wrinkled her nose bringing tears to her eyes, the scent instantly attacked her mind leaving her dizzy, it was a bad idea to sniff it from up close.

Regaining her senses after blinking a few times she placed the flask next to her head and with an exhale of anticipation relaxed once more. Her emerald gaze was fixed on the somewhat noisy mini waterfall, yet the sound was slowly dying. It looked like the herbs were doing their magic, at least one of them did, she could only smell one plant. When the aroma wafted in her direction it wasn't as strong as before.

Her nose gladly accepted the now gentle scent. The smell that reached her was very pleasant, the enjoyable flowery aroma caressed her nostrils softly. Surprisingly that was everything she could smell, besides the rosemary Cynder couldn't discern any other herb. It mattered not, she just wanted to relax, be it two flowers or one she didn't care, she just wished they worked.

Cynder kept watching the flowing water, the streams that flew down were completely silent, it looked like that not even nature in all its glory wanted to disturb her rest. The whole world seemed to forget about her, leaving the dragoness to her refreshing solitude. The moment she closed her eyes, Cynder felt like she was the only creature in the whole Realms, at least she had a moment solely for herself.

" You are enjoying yourself I see"

Her emerald eyes snapped open after hearing the unexpected yet familiar voice. She turned her head just to see a purple dragon standing next to her head. Even in this shrouded by darkness forest she could see her friend clearly, thanks to the silvery light

" Spyro" Cynder blurt out surprised " What are you doing here? I've told you that I will be right back"

" I know, it's just that I've felt guilty when I've mentioned my happy childhood while you had it rough from the very start" he took a breath " It's good to finally get this out of my chest

The thing she feared was just happening, she can't allow him to feel guilt, it isn't his fault " No harm done, I'm fine" Cynder offered a slight comfort

Spyro smiled, there was something unnerving in the way how he did it yet she decided to ignore it " Besides, I really wanted to see you"

The dragoness chuckled, she decided to turn his words into a joke, he couldn't mean it after all " Yeah, it's not like we see each other every day. Just imagine how boring it would be"

He didn't even giggle " I _love_ your company" he answered bluntly

The tone of his voice and the emphasis he put on _love _quelled her giggle instantly " You…you are serious? Umm…thanks I suppose" she replied dumbfounded

With the same somewhat creepy smile he raised the flask with the herbs and examined it " What are those?"

Cynder bit her lip, she didn't want to him to know the truth, telling him about the nightmares wasn't a really good idea " You…remember when I've went to the hospital? I've wanted something to help me relax and fall into a blissful sleep. After all we've been through I deserve a bit of innocent rest right?" she sighed " But here I am with my eyes opened and talking to you, I think you can guess how good those herbs actually are"

Spyro put the flask down and looked into the pond " How's the water?"

" Great to be honest, I've put all my faith into the medicine but the water is doing just fine"

He threw her a cold glance " Will you let me in?" he asked with a strange excitement ringing in his voice

Her head jerked back, what kind of question was that? It's not like the pond is her property " Sure…hop in"

Spyro's eyes twinkled for a very brief moment, the dragon jumped into the pond right after she finished her sentence. An odd electric pulse ran through her body the moment he splashed into the water, also the stone wall she was leaning against started to pluck at her back. She had to rearrange her body since the wall felt so uncomfortable all of a sudden.

" It feels…glorious" the purple dragon huffed blissfully

Cynder furrowed a brow " Glorious?" she rearranged her body with a wince " Oh I guess it's one way to put it" she tried to find a more comfortable position but nothing helped " Damn what's wrong with this wall"

" I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time"

" Yeah?" she punched the wall with her shoulder out of pure menace and glared at it " Happens when you are dirty" she hissed irritated

" All this time…it was worth the wait, however sometimes I could barely stand it" he huffed once again with this blissful and cold tone of his " And you know what kept me going? Patience, a difficult trial but I knew I would be rewarded one day, I knew this time would come eventually"

She wasn't really paying attention, the irritating wall took almost all of her attention " Some of us are less patient than the others" with that she punched the wall once more with a growl. To her surprise it worked, she wiggled her shoulders and leaned against the stone once more " Finally!" Cynder exclaimed in relief and began to turn her head " As for your problem Spyro listen-"

She yelped the moment her eyes looked ahead, the purple snout of her friend appeared silently just mere inches from her own " Dear Ancestors, Spyro!" she screamed and giggled soon after " I didn't even hear you swim, don't scare me like that!"

" Do you believe in destiny Cynder?" Spyro asked while observing her with a cold and hungry stare

The odd questions caught her by surprise" Umm…I should after everything I saw I suppose, but…"

" Because I do, and the last events reassured me of that even more"

The gaze he was giving her made her uncomfortable " That's great Spyro but…" she started wiggling in the water as if trying to lean away from his sight " Don't get it the wrong way but could you not look at me like that?" she rippled the water nervously with her wings, she felt trapped " It makes me uneasy"

His amethyst eyes followed her nervous snout " I can't help it, you are so beautiful" he replied bluntly

" I've told you to not get it the-" her shout trailed off as she finally realized what he just said " Wait, what?"

" You've heard me"

" You think I'm…" she blushed and started to scratch her choker nervously "…beautiful?" she eventually spelled the word after some nervous gulps

A corner of Spyro's mouth twitched into a smile " I've noticed how you've been looking at me, this was the only way to make sure if I was right"

Cynder cackled uneasily " Yeah you see…I…it's not like…" she blushed even harder and averted her gaze " Whoa it's getting hot in here don't you think?" she laughed nervously " Time to go" she arched her body forward preparing to leave

He placed a paw on her belly, gently holding her in place, the moment he did that her eyes shot wide open " It's alright, I feel the same way about you"

His words brought tears to her eyes, she wished for something great to happen but never expected something like this. He said the words she desired to hear for so long, she just couldn't believe it " Y-y-y-you do?" Cynder stammered

" We are destined to be together Cynder, you and I. We are one and nothing can change that"

Her heart pounded at her chest, its longing, its craving will finally be sated. However there was one more side fighting within the dragoness, her mind screamed, it sent alarm signals that something isn't right, that it's too good to be true. There she was, torn apart by two forces wanting to dominate her emotions, the struggle only brewed uncertainty within her " I really wanted to hear you saying that you feel the same way about me, you can't imagine how it hurts to wait, but to tell you the truth, now when we are in this situation I'm not so sure about this. Spyro you are acting strange, since when you are so bold?"

She could swear that she saw his eyes shimmer with admiration, but just as well she could have imagined it since the twinkle, if it even was there in the first place, was gone momentarily " There is only one way to resolve this doubt" he answered and moved his head closer towards her lips

Cynder jerked her head back before their lips met " Wha…what are you doing?" she mumbled in shock

Spyro looked her straight into the eyes " Trying to determine if you are ready for this. A simple test, if it'll be too fast and you won't like it I'll back off. Promise"

" Spyro I-" her voice was cut off when he kissed her unexpectedly and since her mouth was hanging open he was able to caress her lower lip only. Blood shot to her brain, her mind was screaming that she should stop it, that this is wrong. However her heart had an entirely different opinion, it felt like it was about to jump right from her chest, it cried that this is the right thing to do. Spyro's kiss was something more, something way beyond her imagination, he was gently caressing her lower lip while she was doing completely nothing, the feeling made her numb and froze her in place, it felt like her whole body died besides her lower lip. And just like that he retreated, breaking the kiss and leaving her opened mouth the way it was before, as she regained her senses she realized that the kiss felt like a tease, a foretaste for something much greater if she decides to go down that road

" I…I…I…" Cynder mumbled, due to the shock she couldn't form a proper sentence

" I see that you are still uncertain, let's see what we can do about that" he moved his paw upwards along her magenta scales, she shuddered under his touch " If you won't like it tell me to stop" with that he moved his paw down and kissed her neck

That was enough, with that he silenced her screaming mind. Cynder arched her head upwards the moment he pressed his lips to her neck. The kiss tore a blissful uncontrollable moan from her throat, her eyes closed momentarily as she could feel her snout turning red from pleasure and embarrassment. Her red cheeks and the red dash above her nose felt like they were radiating heat, if anyone would touch her he would surely burn himself. Not that it bothered her, the only thing she could feel was his paw caressing her defenseless body and his lips fondling her neck. It was like he knew where to touch to tear moans from her, Spyro's paw never remained in the same place, he was caressing her underbelly and chest while also pushing his paw forward to cuddle her sides, and every time he explored an untouched part of her body she shivered.

His lips were also active, he started by kissing the front end of her neck, making her head arch upwards farther and farther while he fondled the magenta scales right below her chin. Whenever he was about to reach her snout he backed down, her head automatically followed him. The moment he returned to the starting point he pushed his body closer while at the same time moving his head forward to caress the yet unexplored spots of her feminine neck. The longer it lasted the harder it was for Cynder to control her reactions, the constant moans and quick breaths were a clear sign that she is completely under his spell. His lips kept kissing the side of her neck until they couldn't go any farther, it was then when he started backing down with his lips still glued to her neck. The moment he reached the middle part on the side of her neck he sank delicately his sharp into the fragile part of her body. The sting and uncontrollable shiver his razor teeth sent through her body tore a stifled squeal of feral bliss from her throat. The moment her gentle cry ended he withdrew his teeth and caressed the punctures on her neck with his lips, the kiss tore another pleasurable moan from her throat. He backed down the same way, when he reached the front end of her neck he went upwards once again but this time when he was about to reach her snout he broke the kissing.

Spyro withdrew his head and looked at her " We are one" he whispered with a menacing tone the moment she opened her blurry eyes and leaned towards her lips

Cynder didn't care much about how he just sounded, his lips pressing against her own was all that mattered for her now fully in control longing heart. Her eyes momentarily shut down, at first she didn't do nothing, she was just savoring the moment, the thing she wished for was just happening, the time for waiting was over, he had finally chose her. It was then when she slowly parted her lips allowing him more room to caress while she herself started to return the kiss. Cynder had never done this, yet there was that feeling telling her what to do, telling her that she is doing alright.

She let passion guide her, the moment was even better than she had ever imagined it, her lips became tumid and extremely sensitive to the touch. As his lips gently worked on hers Cynder felt like the world ceased to exist, the two of them and the growing heat gnawing at her only remained. Cynder started to bashfully sip from the blissful source his lips offered, the moment she started to explore more fervently the sensation their kiss offered by tilting her head to try different angles blood started to pump through her veins at extremely increased rate. Cynder felt just like alcohol would hit her head, yet it wasn't bad, she loved the state of tipsiness their kiss roused and the slight vertigo that came with it pulled her to unexplored boundaries of bliss.

She was right, that unexpected kiss he gave her was actually a foretaste, the passionate kiss they were sharing currently was the reward. A simple endearment but it brought with it an unexplained feeling of delight she never thought were reachable to her. Cynder melted in the kiss entirely, she was caressing him in her own shy way, he seemed to be more experienced than her, occasionally he delicately touched her exposed lip with the tip of his tongue, by fondling her sensitive part in that way Spyro lifted her to higher levels of pleasure. Cynder never tried it herself, she was following his more basic moves, but who cares about technique? Pleasure and intimacy is all that mattered, to which Cynder was completely lost, the kiss was her only concern, she didn't care about anything else.

If she did the dragoness would realize why her defeated mind was screaming in alarm, she would notice that the once clear azure water began to turn black slowly around both of them. Yet she didn't, her yearning heart effectively deafened every notion of warning. Cynder wanted this moment to last, she waited for it so long that nothing else mattered. After who knows how long he finally broke the kiss and withdrew his head leaving her black snout with closed eyes hanging in the air as if in anticipation for something else. Countless time has passed and yet nothing came, it was then when she decided to open her eyes.

The moment she did that Cynder yelped, it was no longer Spyro in front of her, the dragon had his build but the browns eyes and the green wings with mottled grey membranes proved that he was not the dragon she loved.

" We are one" he said and pressed his lips to her once more before she could utter a word

Cynder's eyes shot wide open, she tried to scream her protest but she was muffled by his fierce and undesired kiss, the only thing that she emitted was a loud terrified hum. Her emerald orbs were traveling chaotically across the pond while she kept screaming inside the dragon's mouth in fear. The dragoness began to thrash splashing the black liquid everywhere by the uncontrollable kicks of her paws and flaps of her wings. She just couldn't break free, his kiss was like a lock that held her in place, however the darkness didn't have such limitations, it kept advancing towards her unhindered.

She looked at the dragon that held her, the sight horrified her even more, the dragon that was kissing her had his brown eyes locked on her. The stare sent a shiver down her spine, Cynder screamed even louder than before, she just had to get out of here. Her survival instinct took control, she placed her paws on the dragons chest and pushed with all the strength she could muster.

Then something unexpected happened, there was a crack and her paws fell inwards while being covered by something thick and gross to the touch, just like she would crack a rotten barrel with some decayed fruits or something similar in it. She withdrew her paws and her eyes widened in horror the moment she looked at them, her paws were trickling with blood, not even the dark water seemed to be able to wash it off. Soon the contents of the thing she cracked resurfaced, bits of torn scales, entrails, flesh and muscles resurfaced, the bloody gory mess tossing in the water in front of her made her scream in terror even louder.

Cynder had to break the lock somehow, she pushed the dragon in panic, but instead of yanking herself free her paws slid down his shoulders peeling off his scales as they did so. Blood started to flow from the now exposed cracked flesh, but that was just the beginning. Soon parts of the dragon's head started to fall off, the membranes began to peel off, the wings started to break with loud snaps. However as disgusting as it looked like, that wasn't the worst thing that happened. The dragon's mouth began to deteriorate while it still held her in a fierce kiss, Cynder kept emitting the muffled scream while parts of the drake's body began to fill her mouth.

She could feel his palate cracking open and splattering on her tongue, streams of disgusting blood followed soon after. Despite her abhorrence she was forced to swallow the red liquid, but the flow was so intense that she just couldn't keep up, the remains she couldn't swallow trickled from the corners of her mouth and down her chin. Later Cynder could feel his lips dissolving, parts of those once desirable lips started to fill the inside of her mouth, followed soon by the bits and pieces of the dragon's teeth and tongue.

When the lower part of his mouth began to deteriorate Cynder was finally able to break herself free, with one fierce jerk and a terrified cry she pushed away from the dragon. The brown eyes never ceased to stare at her, the moment she looked at the dragon his jaw fell off. A moment of creepy silence has befallen on them as she gazed into those brown eyes, and then she felt the darkness encasing. Cynder only managed to emit a faint gasp when she was sharply pulled down into the depths of the dark water. As she descended she could only hear the sound of somebody calling her name, the calling seemed to intensify with each passing second…

* * *

Spyro gently shook her shoulder " Cynder, Cynder, Cynder" he kept calling her name as he did so

She finally stirred and he withdrew his paw but then something unexpected happened. The moment her sleepy eyes caught the sight of the waking sun's shy rays they momentarily snapped open. She began to scream and thrash in the pond, splashing the azure water in every direction.

" Hey, hey, hey" he repeated tenderly and grabbed her shoulder " It was just a dream" he comforted her

The moment she set her eyes on him she screamed even louder " Get away from me!" Cynder yelled and splashed the water in his direction

" It's me!" Spyro shouted back while wiping the water from his snout

" I don't believe you!" she yelled once more and began to look around the pond. That move tore another terrified scream from her throat, in an instant she jumped from the water

" Cynder relax! You were dreaming!"

She shook off the water from her body and shuddered, just like she would touch something disgusting and wanted to get rid of the feeling before she fixed her murderous eyes on the purple dragon " What do you want from me?!" she roared " Tell me now or else…"

" Nothing!" Spyro shouted cutting her off " You came here for a bath remember? I wanted to get one too so I got up early and found you here instead!"

" Liar!" the dragoness roared again

" Just look around you! It was dark when you came here but now the sun's waking up!"

Cynder wanted to emit another roar but she quelled it inside her, her eyes slowly started to scan the surroundings and in fact it was getting more sunny. She looked at the flask, the herbs looked spent and dried out, no aroma was coming from them, they looked like they were completely used. Her eyes returned to the purple dragon, she still mistrusted him but there was only one way to find out if he is real.

" Spyro look at me" she ordered him

He did as he was told, he didn't want to anger her further " Ok, I'm looking, now what?" he finally asked after a moment of silent staring

" What do you see?"

Spyro started to evaluate her from horn to claw, he took his sweet time but no matter how much time has passed he still had no idea what to look for. It was dangerous to keep her waiting, he has to guess " Ummm… you are clean?" he replied with ringing uncertainty

Cynder balked, the anger in her eyes vanished momentarily. It was really him, she was sure of it, not even the best actor in the whole world could fake that obliviousness. She ran and hugged him " You have no idea how glad I am you said that!" she couldn't believe her own words, she always desired to hear him say something that would hint his affection for her but this time she was happy like a child that he didn't do it. She had enough of romance for one day.

He arched back the moment she wrapped herself around him, he had to struggle to remain steady, it was quite a feat thanks to the speed with which she threw herself at him " It's okay, it's okay" he stroked her back " It's over now" Spyro whispered comfortingly

She broke their embrace and looked at him " You wouldn't be able to imagine the things I saw in that dream. They were so creepy"

" Was is really that bad?"

Cynder wanted to reply _Yes _but she just couldn't pronounce it, she looked him over and just couldn't think of anything else than the kiss in her dream " It…it had its moments"

He smiled " I bet it did, a nightmare couldn't be behind your purring"

" I didn't purr!" she protested while blushing slightly

Spyro's smile grew wider, he wanted to tease her a little, to help her mind forget about the nightmare " Oh yes you did! Tell me what it was all about!"

The flush on her snout became more intense " No way!"

" Oh come on, I'm curious"

" No!"

" I won't tell anybody, promise!"

" Spyro no!"

" We are friends, you can tell me anything!"

" Spyro stop it!" she exclaimed once more but this time averted her gaze, she could feel herself blushing intensely

" Cynder promise I won't laugh or anything" he wriggled and straightened up " Come on, hit me with your best shot"

The blush was gone after he said that, she turned and looked at him, giving him a meaningful look " Watch it, I've spent some time around Flare"

Spyro gulped, he understood the meaning behind her words perfectly " Point taken"

She grinned " I've thought so" dropping her evil smile she continued " Now with that out of the way, how about we get out of here?"

" A moment, I do need a bath"

Cynder kept pacing back and forth the rocky ground near the pond sharing a cheerful conversation with her swimming friend. While they talked like this her eyes fell on the used flask of herbs, it was then that she realized that she is full of energy, like after a proper night's sleep, she hadn't felt like that for a long time. Even if the medicine didn't block the creepy dreams, it at least allowed her to rest. The dream, it was something difficult to explain, she could swear that it was real, she could feel every single thing, and to make it worse she can remember every single detail, but it still was just a dream and she was glad it ended with the first sun rays.

Then as she walked something wet fell on her paw, it was odd since it didn't seem like it was about to rain. Cynder looked down and noticed a single red dot on her paw, she furrowed a brow and then another drop fell and splattered on the same spot, soon followed by another and another. Her mouth became moist, something began to trickle from it, she brushed her lips with her claw and looked at it, red liquid dripped from it. Startled she ran her other claw across her lips and looked at it soon after, Cynder yelped when she realized what it was-blood, and it was dripping from her mouth.

" Cynder? Are you alright?" Spyro asked worried from the pond, her terrified yelp startled him

She didn't hear him, the dragoness was completely focused on the sudden appearance of blood in her mouth. Her fear intensified when she felt a lump appearing in her mouth out of nowhere, something got stuck in her throat. Cynder reached into her mouth, her paw was moving deeper and deeper until she found a grip of the foreign object, whatever it was it was greasy and meaty to the touch. With trembling paw she removed the foreign object, the moment it was out of her mouth she looked at it. The dragoness gagged when she noticed that it was part of a tongue, Cynder dropped the disgusting thing on the ground and ran into the nearby bushes, she couldn't hold it, she was going to throw up.

" Cynder what's going on!?" Spyro shouted after her and began to get out of the water instantly

Cynder made her way towards the nearby thick layer of bushes and vomited, when the unpleasant ordeal was finally over she looked at the spew despite her common sense. To her surprise however it didn't contain any blood or some body parts for that matter, it looked like the ordinary repulsive pool of vomit " _What the hell_?" only that kind of thought crossed her mind, she had no idea what is happening, it didn't really feel like she was hallucinating, or was she?

" Everything's ok?" Spyro's worried shout came from behind her

" Yeah I'm ok" Cynder coughed " Seems the berries I ate didn't like me very much" she lied, the dragoness didn't want to worry him about something she didn't understand herself

He sighed in relief " That's good…" he winced, it didn't sound right " I mean it's bad that you feel sick but I'm glad that you ate those berries. Wait that's not right! I mean-"

She giggled " I understand" Cynder interjected, ending his babble

Spyro smiled " We better get going, leaving Flare with Sparx alone might-" his voice was cut off by a terrified scream that echoed throughout the forest, it could only belong to one of their companions

" Flare!" both dragons exclaimed simultaneously and ran in the direction of the echoing shriek as fast as their legs could carry them.


	24. Chapter 6 Book II

Chapter 6

The sound of snaps and rustles surrounded both young dragons as they ran through the thick maze of the forest. That was no ordinary scream they heard, it was a scream of horror just like something you never wanted to see just appeared and it didn't came here to talk. As they ran they could not hear anything else besides the sound of the surrounding forest, they hearts started to race, a single terrified scream always was a bad omen.

The only thing that could be attacking them right here and now would be the Apes, but then again, they've never met anyone on their trek through the woods, even if someone would be stalking them Spyro would most likely discover them while being in that state of concentration not so long ago. Still Cynder somewhat blamed her friend for abandoning their companions and concentrating on her, perhaps her emotions were roused by the scream.

" How could you leave them alone?" Cynder panted from behind him indigenously

" I've spent the whole night with them, nothing happened!" Spyro exclaimed a little irritated " Besides I have one other friend that I have to look out for"

She snorted " I can take care of myself thank you very much, don't put this on me!"

" Cynder come on, think, what could possibly attack them? Maybe they are overreacting" his words didn't even convince himself

" I don't know, Apes maybe? We have plenty of enemies looking for our scales"

" Impossible, I assure you there is nothing in that forest that wants us dead, I'm not the best tracker around but even I wouldn't make such a mistake"

Cynder sighed, he was right, Spyro would never leave his friend if he didn't think it was safe " Sorry for my outburst" she panted behind him guilty

" Don't be sorry, I understand, it was only a spur of the moment"

She smiled " Thanks" it was then when she heard someone shouting, it sounded like the dragonfly " Did you hear that?"

He did " Sparx!" Spyro called his brother

" Over here!" the shout of his brother echoed through the forest

They ran as fast as they could in the direction of the shout, the moment they've noticed the dragonfly hovering in the air near a tree they both skid to a halt. Both drakes bent on their paws and began to scan the surroundings with narrowed eyes and slowly wagging tails.

" Sparx what's going on?" Spyro whispered, his head never stopped turning

Sparx rose his hands in the air " Whoa bro relax, it's not what you think it is"

" Where's Flare?' Cynder hissed

The dragonfly smiled and folded his arms " I let you guess"

Spyro threw his brother an angry glance " Sparx this is not the time for jokes!"

" You wouldn't say that if you knew what I know"

" Cut it out!" Cynder growled " Where is Flare?"

Sparx shook his head " You guys are no fun" with that he lowered down towards the protruding roots of the tree " Just look at all those worms!" he exclaimed " And they look hungry too!"

" Sparx what are you-" Spyro was cut off by a sudden rustle of branches and falling leafs from above him.

Cynder noticed that too, they both looked up and noticed a fiery shape among the crown

" Flare?!" She exclaimed dumbfounded " What are you doing up there?"

" B-b-b-b-bugs!" the red dragon stammered while shaking uncontrollably, tossing down leafs and some smaller twigs

" Bugs?" the dragoness repeated after him

" You see, our brave new friend here was sleeping under this tree" Sparx began recalling the recent event to his two friends " Some bugs took liking to him and started slithering all over the place, and when Flare opened his eyes and noticed all those worms he screamed like a girl and BAM!" he pointed a finger towards the crown " He's up there. A material for a hero isn't he?"

" W-w-w-w-we have t-t-t-to k-k-k-kill them!" Flare emitted a stammering terrified shout

Sparx snapped his fingers " Oh yeah, I forgot that he wanted to burn this little fellows. Luckily I've been here to stop him or he would torch the whole forest by now, with us with it. You don't need to thank me, that's just what I do"

Spyro leaned closer " Ok I'm lost, being afraid of ghosts, death, war and the like I understand but bugs?" he whispered " Who's afraid of bugs?"

" Your new friends bro, you have a knack for meeting interesting people." the dragonfly shrugged " Who cares if they are crazy"

Cynder threw the dragonfly an angry glance before raising her head " Flare, you can come down now, they are harmless"

" N-n-n-no!"

" What can they possibly do to you?" Spyro asked despite his status of the bad guy in the red dragon's eyes

Flare didn't seem to notice who was addressing him " T-t-t-they c-c-c-c-crawl in y-y-y-your n-n-n-nose and e-e-e-eat y-y-your b-b-b—brains o-out!"

" That's not true!" Cynder exclaimed surprised " Who the hell told you that?"

He didn't pay attention to her shout, the dragon was continuing his ramble " A-a-a-and, a-a-a-and they s-s-s-suck o-out y-y-y-your e-e-e-eyes!"

" What?!" she shook her head in disbelief " That's bull-"

" Man that's not everything!" Sparx' excited shout cut her off. The dragonfly rose upwards and hovered just next to the trembling red dragon " When they finish with your brain they start to eat your guts out!" he stated with the most menacing tone he could muster, it was enough to make the dragon gasp " And when they are done, you start to spit blood all over the place!"

" Sparx stop!" both young dragons exclaimed from below

" Don't listen to him Flare!" Cynder added

The dragonfly leaned closer " And you know what's the worst part? You never see them coming, they might eat you away as we speak" the red dragon whimpered, the branches he was hugging to shook violently, as they wanted to scream that they can barely hold his trembling weight

" T-t-t-they c-c-c-can be i-i-i-in me r-r-r-right NOW?!" the dragon stammered horrified

" No they can't!" Cynder tried to get the attention of their new companion but her attempt was to no avail. Seeing it failed she turned to the dragonfly " Sparx that's enough!"

He ignored her protest " No dude relax, if there was something in you, you would feel it"

Flare exhaled a sigh of relief but he was still on edge

" Don't worry man, with me around no bug will surprise you" Sparx patted the muscle around his eye " Keen eyes dude, I can spot every single little detail, no worm will get past me! They always leave that one track…" Sparx eyes went wide and his voice trailed off, he quickly pointed a finger at the dragon " ONE IS ON YOUR SHOULDER!" he yelled

Flare panicked instantly, with terrified scream he began to slap his shoulder while chaotically trembling. The branches had enough, the moment the dragon bounced once more they snapped under his weight. With a yelp of surprise Flare fell down, with no space and time to spread his wings, the red dragon crashed onto the ground with a grunt. Leafs and parts of branches followed soon after, some landed near him while others bounced right off his head.

He quickly rolled on the ground a couple of times to get rid himself of the slithering invader before pulling himself up " I-i-i-is it g-g-g-gone?!" Flare stammered scared while scanning his body carefully

" It was never there. Flare calm down, Sparx was just joking" Cynder comforted the panicking dragon

Sparx smirked, he was pride of his little innocent prank " Yeah dude it was just a joke"

" T-t-t-that w-w-w-was m-m-mean!" Flare stammered and winced soon after, as if he did something bad and expected punishment for it

Sparx made his way closer to him, making the dragon hunker down " Come on dude, you are afraid of bugs, how can it not be funny? Seriously man you are a dragon"

The fiery drake visibly relaxed a bit when he noticed no punishment is coming, yet he was still nervous " S-s-s-so?" he asked not really understanding what him being a dragon has to do with anything

Sparx observed the dragon quite dumbfounded, he was actually serious. At first he wanted to explain everything, that a creature like him shouldn't be afraid of worms that are small than his claw but he thought better of it " I have no idea" he replied sarcastically

" Flare what's going on?" Spyro asked " Why you are so afraid of bugs?"

The red dragon looked at Spyro, a clear hint of anger could be seen in his eyes behind all that nervousness " Y-y-y-you e-e-e-exactly know w-w-w-why!" he emitted a stammered yell " I w-w-w-woke up-" when his monolog came to an abrupt end, the drake averted his gaze and winced, as if remembering not a very pleasant memory " I d-d-d-don't w-w-w-want to t-t-t-talk about t-t-t-this"

Sparx was unmoved, not really interested in the reason behind his fear. Something entirely else bugged him " Ok I have to ask, you realize that you stammer sometimes, right?"

Cynder rolled her eyes " Great sense of timing"

Flare blushed, he was aware of his flawed speech, yet he still felt embarrassed when the dragonfly pointed it out "I a-a-a-always s-s-s-s-stammer w-w-w-when I'm r-r-r-really n-n-n-nervous"

" Then relax dude" Sparx inhaled deeply " Take a deep breath and exhale" the dragonfly exhaled " Again, take a deep breath" his chest swollen " and exhale" he did what he said " Come on follow me" breath" Flare inhaled "exhale" the dragon let go of the air " Again, breath" both their chests had swollen " and release" they both exhaled " See? Feeling better now?" Sparx asked

Flare nodded, he actually did feel more calmer " Yes"

" I've told you that you just needed to relax, the worms just surround you and you remain calm." He raised a thumb, a simple gesture of applause " Keep up the good work!"

The dragon's eyes shot wide open, he began to jump all around the place just trying to avoid the bugs that were surrounding them, it didn't matter they weren't there.

" Sparx!" the other two companions admonished the dragonfly

" Dude that was a joke!" he shouted at the red dragon gaining his attention " Let's go through this again. Breath…"

* * *

The group has left the forest, the sun a welcoming sight for all of them and especially for the fiery dragon, the moment they stepped out from the thick woods, they all stopped. Spyro did his best, he led his friends to a place where no living soul could be seen, here only nature lived its peaceful life, not bothering anyone. Ignitus would be proud. The sun illuminated this perfectly green and beautiful part of the Dragon Realms, the fertile grounds gladly accepted the life giving rays, the southern end of the world was the most favorite land for the most of the inhabitants of the Realms. It was the ideal change of scenery from the lush green jungle named the Tall Plains to the north or the completely covered in ice and snow terrains of Dante's Freezer located some kilometers away from the ruined Dragon Temple.

They stood at the brink of the forest, seeping warm from the sun's life-giving light. While for the three saviors it wasn't anything special, just a sunny day like any other, for their new companion it was something indescribable and overwhelming. Flare stood there with his wide yellow eyes, his head was moving slowly, his mind was leisurely ingesting the scenery before him. The world he looked upon was wide, green and so beautiful, everything looked so invigorating in the bright light. Flare rose his head to congratulate the one who is doing such a great work, he squinted and covered his eyes with his paw to look upon one of the skies' sentinels through his claws.

He smiled, smiled like he never had before, it didn't bother him in the slightest that the sun's direct light was blinding, he had to convince himself that this is really happening. He lowered his head and looked around the world once more, his eyes glittering and his heart beating with glee. As Flare scanned the surroundings he noticed some strange things growing from the ground, he immediately ran towards them. It was an odd thing, it reminded him of a tree, it had a very thin green trunk and a very violet crown with a strange yellow dot in the middle. Something told him at the back of his head to not be afraid of it, to experiment with new things. He reached and plucked the tiny tree from the ground, Flare examined it from every angle, as he did so he felt some pleasant smell invading his nostrils. He wrinkled his nose a couple of times before realizing it was coming from the thing he held in his paw, driven by the scent he brought the strange tree closer and sniffed it. It wasn't like anything else he smelled before, the aroma was extremely pleasant and strangely delicate, it smelled of peacefulness.

" That's a flower, violet to be more precise" Cynder whispered from behind him

" Flower…" Flare muttered under his breath while taking another sniff of the gentle aroma.

He gently put down the plucked out flower amongst the other ones. While he withdrew his paw he stopped, with a frown the dragon delicately ran his claw along the petals. Their soft surfaces bent and bounced under his touch, violets, something such fragile yet radiating an unexplained strength. The world he never knew existed was right in front of his eyes, the flowers only reminded him how much he missed, how many things were taken away from him, and now here they were, it felt like paradise.

Flare looked up, the cloudless azure sky stretched above him to untold boundaries, the green land below his paws and all around him stretched far and wide just to hide itself below the horizon later on. He was out of his cage, the land welcomed him eagerly, he thanked it for its trust as he scanned the surroundings with his glittering eyes. This world, it was all his, nobody is telling him where to go, nobody is telling what to do, for the first time Flare feels like no chains are wrapped around his neck, he can do whatever he wants.

Yet he had a hard time convincing his mind that whatever happened when he made through that portal or whatnot was left there. Flare made an shaky step forward and froze as expecting something or someone to put him back in line. Nothing happened. Another step, the same situation, once again he moved, there was still silence. Flare began walking faster and faster, farther and farther, slowly convincing his suffocated mind that the world changed. His smile began to grow wider, his heart began to pump blood faster, a feeling roused itself within him, a sensation very alien to him but at the same time the one which he beseeched for. Freedom

" I'M FREE!" Flare roared and ran, didn't matter where, as far as no one is forcing him to stop it was good " I'M FREE!" he roared once again as if trying to announce his situation to the world itself.

If it cared was unimportant for him, the only thing that mattered were now the non-existing restrictions, pretty selfish perhaps but he deserved it. Flare ran back and forth, left to right while emitting sometimes the cheerful roar. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, the vast world tried to show him that even freedom has its price by placing obstacles on his path. He didn't care, every rock or any other obstacle that blocked his path he conquered by jumping over it or just avoiding it entirely. The world held sway after so many smaller signs it decided to bring out the big guns, as the dragon ran a small hill grew from the ground, blocking his path.

Flare kept running unconcerned by the unscalable wall that rose before him, he was free and only he will decide when to stop. The dragon looked up, the cloudless sky stretched above him without any obstacles and limits. With a smile he spread his wings and just only a couple of kilometres before the hill he leapt into the air. As he gained altitude Flare extended his paw as if trying to catch the air itself, he flied before but nothing could be compared to this, the thing that he only dreamed of in the past became a reality.

The mood on the ground however was not that of pure happiness, awe mostly dominated there. The group stared at the flying dragon and couldn't believe their own eyes, Flare's wings were quite a sight. Not only that they never seen such wings in action but also they never thought something like this was possible. It might be just and illusion but his wings seemed to get bigger, almost twice their normal size, but that was not everything. Whenever Flare flapped his wings they left fiery dashes in the air that looked like a flame just burst but on a smaller scale. It was quite a sight, they never thought they will see a sky burning, it must be looking even more impressive after nightfall.

Flare on the other hand was unaffected by such trifles, the open sky was his interest. He kept making his way through the air, rippling the sky with his fiery wings, when he soared like that he inhaled deeply, the fresh air sent a delicate shiver through his lungs. Flare closed his eyes and inhaled once more, then he repeated the same process again and again and again. With each breath he took the feeling of glee started to become more palpable until he couldn't keep it bottled within him any longer.

He burst out laughing and just couldn't stop as he soared in the sky, the whizzing wind only seemed to intensify his joyful cry. Flare never felt like this before, he just laughed uncontrollably like he never did in his entire life. All those emotions he quenched within him, all those dreams he never thought could happen, all this hope that he never thought will fulfill itself, all those thing he released in that laughter. Freedom has such a delightful taste, and its solely for him.

Flare kept flying, spinning and flipping in the air, diving, rising, with addition of some others acrobatic moves. No matter what he did he kept laughing and smiling, he kept going until his mind and heart calmed themselves after fully absorbing the new situation. With last backflip Flare headed for the ground and landed near the group that found him.

" Whoa" the three friends mumbled the moment the red dragon appeared in front of them

" I know right?!" Flare exclaimed excitedly

" Your wings…" Cynder muttered " I've never seen anything like that"

He waved his paw dismissively" It was nothing, but that!" he pointed at the sky " That's just great!"

" Dude slow down there" Sparx said incredulously " Your wings are farting flames and you say that a sky is great? Dude seriously?"

Flare nodded confidently " Yeah! I've never knew that flying could be so much fun! I mean I knew what a sky was but I never thought I'll be flying up there someday"

" What do you mean that you never thought you'll be flying up there?"

The fiery drake looked up not really caring that it was Spyro who asked him that question " I saw the sky only through the cracks in the ceiling"

Cynder looked clearly disturbed by the news" That's horrible"

The red dragon sighed " I thought so too but it turned out that it wasn't so bad, the horrible happened when one day such a crack appeared in the place where I stayed" he looked at the dragoness sadly " You know what's the most effective way to torture someone? Show them that there is something good out in the world, somebody never dreamed of and make that dream real but also untouchable at the same time. I could feel the fresh air every day, I could see a way to freedom just at paws reach."

" You know what that does to people?" he continued " It gives them purpose to fight for something, a blind hope that if they try hard enough they will win. But after you fail again and again…" he shook his head" You become angry, you start to blame everyone and everything for this failure. You know there is a way out and you try to reach it no matter what, and when after another days of futile attempts you hear people telling you to stop, you see people backing down, you put the blame on them "

" While you keep working to free yourself, you see some small chunks of rock falling down, it gives you more strength ,fills you with more anger to pursue something that was never meant for you, and when you try so desperately to free yourself you hear people dissuading you from that idea. Your mind starts to panic, telling you that the people who surround you are working with your captors. After some time of this torture you finally snap, you have to punish someone for this and your roommates seem like the perfect solution"

He winced when some painful images flashed before his eyes " I've never seen so much blood before" he muttered

" And on which side were you?" Sparx asked cautiously, even if something told him he already knew the answer " The bullies or the losers?"

Flare looked to the side in shame " I…I've been amongst the dragons who couldn't stand the insults any longer, the ones who snapped"

" Perfect!" the dragonfly exclaimed

" You killed your roommates Flare?" Spyro asked just to be sure, however his voice wasn't filled with anger or blame but concern

The red dragon winced " Yes, I-"

" Another killer! That's exactly what we need now!" Sparx outraged shout cut off the drake

" Sparx chill" Cynder growled

"…I slaughtered them…I just couldn't stop…" Flare continued to rant under his breath

" CHILL?!" the dragonfly yelled in disbelief " We got a crazy dude here who kills people only because they disagree with him!"

" You have no right to judge! They've tortured him!" Cynder snarled

" Everybody just calm down!" Spyro yelled but nobody listened to him

"…some of them didn't even fight back…" the red dragon continued to mumble

Sparx pointed an accusing finger at the fiery drake " You hear that?! He is a cold blooded killer!"

" Whoever was torturing Flare broke him, it was not his fault!" the black dragoness tried to justify their new companion's action

" Guys please!" Spyro's pleading shout reached deaf ears

"…they were not trying to hurt me and I still killed them…" Flare kept ranting with a voice filled with guilt

" Yeah because it is possible to accidently tear somebody's heart out!" Sparx yelled with his typical sarcastic manner

" THEY BROKE HIS SPIRIT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT FEELS LIKE!" Cynder roared angrily

" NOTHING JUSTIFIES MURDER!" the dragonfly retorted at the top of his lungs

Cynder balked with a gasp after hearing his shout, also Flare's uncontrollable rant was silenced by the sound. An awkward silence has befallen on the group, the situation clearly got out of paws, it's essential to calm things down

" Guys listen-"

" It will be better for everyone if he would return to whatever place he came from" Sparx cut Spyro off with his strangely cold statement

" NO!" Flare yelled terrified

" That's your answer for everything!" Cynder snarled " It's all black and white for you!"

" Please don't send me back there!" the red drake screamed, he was at the brink of tears

" Open your eyes!" Sparx retorted " There is only red, nothing else! Do we really need another Malefor?"

" Sparx the brave hero who would rather avoid trouble than face it! Hail to our savior!' Cynder growled " How can you even think about throwing him back there? Didn't you hear what he was saying?"

" That portal is gone he cannot return!" Spyro yelled trying to break through cacophony of shouts " This argument is pointless!"

" I won't hurt anyone. Promise!" Flare exclaimed with a wavering voice

Sparx ignored the red dragon, he paid attention to his brother while seizing the black dragoness with his eyes at the same time " Then let's leave him here"

" But, I-"

" Yeah let's abandon him, since he killed he is no longer a living being" Cynder snapped

" I won't kill anyone I SWEAR!" Flare begged

Sparx turned to the fiery drake " You have your freedom" he waved his hand " Go, enjoy it"

He looked behind him and the moment he did that confusion clouded his mind. His head returned to the previous position soon after with his eyes fixed on the ground " But I…I don't know what to do" he muttered bashfully

" Whatever you want, it's freedom, you always wanted that right?"

He did want it but he also knew that he will be lost in this unfamiliar world without help and the three of them were the only people he met. The group has it issues but at least one dragoness was nice to him, the closest person he could call a friend, he didn't want to lose that

" Can I stay with you?" he asked bashfully

" NO!"

"YES!"

Both Sparx and Cynder exclaimed at the same time, two completely opposite statements

Spyro rubbed his forehead " This is going nowhere…" he muttered under his breath angrily

" Dude go! Explore the world!" Sparx shouted with an irritated voice

" But I don't want to…" Flare mumbled sadly

" You can't stay"

" But why?" he finally looked at the dragonfly. Now he has something he never thought would be granted to him, freedom with at least someone who sincerely cares about him, he just can't give up on that " I've made a mistake but I told you that it won't happen again. Just let me stay, please"

Sparx shook his head " Go!" he shouted yet his voice lacked the previously palpable confidence after hearing the dragon's constant pleading tone

" You have no right to force him to do anything!" Cynder snarled

" I left the past behind as Cynder told me, clean sheet remember? I won't hurt anyone I swear" Flare pleaded once again

Sparx opened his mouth to voice another protest but was interrupted by Spyro's annoyed and somewhat pained shout " I have enough of this! Nobody is going anywhere! I'm tired to listening to this and I just hate to see my friends fighting. Flare is staying and that's final! Now shut up and be friends again!" he roared

The red dragon's eyes traveled between every member of this little group, a perplexed look formed itself on his snout as he noticed that everyone was actually listening to the purple dragon, even the powerful dragonfly. He didn't say anything but shouldn't it be the other way around? But they are letting him stay, there was no sense in pushing your luck

Sparx turned towards his brother with a resigned look on his face, his shoulders and head fell down with a sigh " I've tried"

" You did great, you actually managed to annoy three people at the same time!" Cynder exclaimed with a faked praise. " A new record, congratulations!"

The dragonfly looked at her with a corner of his eye, a glimpse of pity shimmered from it for a brief moment. He sighed once more and shook his head

" Cynder that's enough" Spyro admonished her, much to the dragoness displeasure, she threw him an irritated glance and emitted an offended snort. The purple dragon focused on the group " Now we are going to move, TOGETHER as we planned from the beginning. Everyone's cool with that?"

His eyes traveled between every member of his group, he saw Flare opening his mouth but when seeing that the other two didn't respond he closed it soon after. Sparx was just staring at the ground and shaking his head, while Cynder was eyeing the dragonfly angrily.

It seems Spyro has to pull their teeth " I want to hear you say it, everyone's cool with that?" he asked once more, his eyes jumping between every dragon and dragonfly

" Yes" Cynder answered, her eyes never leaving his brother

" Yes…" Sparx muttered with resignation

" YES!" Flare exclaimed excitedly, it was more like a cry of triumph than simple agreement

Spyro nodded " Great now let's get out of here, I'm tired of this place" with that the group took off after the purple dragon

* * *

The group was soaring through the cloudless sky, green land blurring below them as they moved. The argument earlier left a bitter aftertaste among everyone one of them, only Flare seemed unaffected, his head was constantly moving as he absorbed every detail of this new world. They were flying in complete silence, Spyro turned his head to check on his companions, they were flying behind him, their eyes focused on the horizon, not even meeting his.

The purple dragon turned his head to look ahead and shivered, this silence gave him the creeps, even his brother didn't say a word which only meant one thing- the situation is even worse than it seems. Spyro's heart ached, he hates to see the two most important people in his world fighting with each other, he just couldn't allow it to continue, he just couldn't.

Spyro looked at the excited fiery dragon behind him and an idea crossed his mind " Flare take the lead!" he yelled

The red dragon balked at the sound of his voice, his yellow uncertain and confused eyes traveled on the dragonfly as if looking for some kind of assistance

" Flare get over here!" Spyro shouted once more

The fiery dragon kept watching the glowing dragonfly a while longer but when he realized that no reaction will be coming, he slowly nodded in acceptance " I'm coming" he answered, yet not because he wanted to, it seemed like he acted on fear

" Lead on" Spyro encouraged his new companion the moment he tentatively flew next to him

" But…but I don't know where to go" Flare mumbled with a scared voice

The purple dragon noticed his attitude but it was not the time to dwell on it right now " Just fly straight ahead, I'll tell you when to turn, don't worry" he said kindly and fell back behind the fiery tail

As he flew behind Flare Spyro looked behind his shoulder, he smiled slightly when he noticed that his plan worked. Cynder and Sparx were no longer staring in the distance lost in thought but instead their confrontation shifted onto the flames bursting forth from Flare's flapping wings. He smiled inwardly after noticing his success, better let their focus settle on something fascinating than let it be wasted on thinking about a pointless argument.

Spyro looked ahead and cocked his head, the flames were really fascinating. He blinked and chuckled under his breath when he realized that he became the victim of his own master plan. However he had to admit that there was something in those bursting flames that drawn attention. The sight triggered his natural curiosity, Spyro reached out, he just had to touch those flames.

He gritted his teeth when Flare's wings went down, his self- preservation instinct kicked in telling him to back down or he will regret it. He didn't budge and when the flames burst forth he expected that they will burn his paw, with a wince he prepared himself for the inevitable. Spyro's snout relaxed when no unbearable heat struck his scales, to his surprise the flames weren't hot but enjoyably warm. He might have expected this since his fiery wings didn't burn Cynder but this was different, those flames weren't connected with Flare's wings yet they still weren't hot.

Spyro forgot dispute instantly when he noticed that whenever the flames reached his extended leg a delicate yellow flash covered his vision. He looked down and his eyes widened the moment he did that, whenever the flames reached his purple scales they shattered and bounced of his paw in a show of many yellow sparks. Spyro just couldn't stop staring at the spectacle, he never saw anything like it before, hell, he never thought something like this was possible.

The delicate yellow flashes made him think about the recent events, maybe he worried too much? Perhaps the Veils aren't that bad? What if they hide more of such unspeakable stuff? Ok perhaps Brill isn't exactly the model of something good, but there is always a rotten apple, there is always a flaw in the system. What if the portals hide creatures like Flare? He revealed to them his difficult past but honestly does it really matter now in the light of recent events?

A clean sheet, simple words coming from Cynder's mouth he thought that were only used to comfort their new companion had a greater meaning now, you jump in time, leaving everything you've been, everything you experienced in the past and you are brought into this new world with nothing but memories. It's like being born anew, it's like being given a second chance, it's like starting from the beginning- a clean sheet.

Sometimes perhaps a monster or something else push through that's hostile, just like the Keeper thing, nobody said life is easy after all. However when those things would protect something as precious as Flare then it's worth fighting for in Spyro's eyes, it's worth taking a risk to give somebody else a second chance. Maybe those Veils are some kind of reward, some kind of sign that their efforts didn't go unnoticed? One can only hope.

Spyro shook his head with a blink once again, he wasn't supposed to be the one who dwelled on Flare's extraordinary appearance and what it meant. He withdrew his paw, only a small part of the flames managed to catch his leg, some yellow sparks bounced of his claws emitting a dim light. " _Amazing_" he mused to himself before looking over his shoulder, he located his female friend, she was still completely lost in the fiery wings, even from here he could see flames reflecting in her emerald eyes. Spyro slowed down, impulsively she did the same, perhaps her concentration was focused entirely on Flare but there was still a part of her mind that directed her body and it just didn't want any collision in the air. They flew slower than the rest of the group for a little longer, this simple move made them fall back behind the other two. It was what Spyro wanted, he needed to pull her to the side so to speak to have a little one-on-one chat with her.

" Quite a sight huh?" he stated the obvious, it had the same meaning when somebody else would say to someone that this is a nice weather in a sunny day.

Cynder snapped from her trance and narrowed her eyes on her purple friend " You don't say? Thanks the Ancestors you showed up, otherwise I wouldn't figure it myself" she replied with an offended sarcasm

" Hey! I just wanted to start a conversation" Spyro defended himself

She rolled her eyes " Get to the point already Captain Obvious and hurry to avert a crisis somewhere else" she hissed in exasperation

He narrowed his eyes on her " Take a chill pill Grumpy"

Cynder's eyes flared up " This is how you want it to play out? By insulting me? Very sublime" she growled

" You wanted me to get straight to the point so here it is"

" You may be actually related with your stupid brother after all. Get out of my sight before you'll regret it"

" You know that's not going to happen" Spyro replied calmly

" OH REALLY?" she snarled " Leave me or I'll make you"

He shook his head " I'm not going anywhere"

" GO HUG WITH YOUR BROTHER AND LEAVE THIS MURDERER ALONE!" Cynder roared

Spyro noticed the group stopping after her display of anger, he turned around and with a wave of his paw urged them to continue, the moment they did that he focused on the dragoness once more

" You are no murderer" he said

" Oh? Now you have a change of heart?" she snarled

" Gee Cynder stop being so crabby, I'm your friend"

" My friend you say? Correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't heard you backing me up there"

He shook his head " I wasn't taking any sides"

" You weren't taking sides yet it was you who told me to shut up"

" Now you are just being fussy"

Cynder growled " I've told you to go away, I need a vast personal space. I'm just THAT fussy"

Spyro rolled his eyes and reached for her paw " Now you are just being ridiculous"

She yanked her leg away " Don't touch me!" she snapped

" I just want to show you something"

" I don't want to see it"

He shook his head " Cynder sometimes you can be so…" his voice trailed off when an idea crossed his mind " Fine I'll give you your personal space" with that he sped up his flight but instead in keeping his word Spyro wrapped his tail tightly around the dragoness foreleg when he was in front of her and pulled her behind him

" LET-ME-GO!" she pronounced each word slowly making sure he won't miss the murderous tone in her voice

" Just be quiet" he answered calmly, completely unmoved by her tone

" Spyro I'm warning you!" she growled

" Just look"

" I don't want to!" she yanked her foreleg but couldn't break free " That's it you've asked for it! I-" her rant was cut off by a sudden delicate yellow flash covering her vision .She looked down on her now extended and free leg, flames from Flare's wings had reached her paw and shatter into many tiny yellow sparks on impact.

" I…" she muttered but then another flames reached her, they looked like waves of fiery water crashing on the cliffs. Cynder opened her mouth but no sound came out, she was speechless.

Spyro smiled when he noticed her unmoving paw and calming expression on her snout " Quite a sight, huh?"

" It's beautiful" Cynder muttered in awe when once again the yellow light reflected in her green eyes

Spyro turned his smiling snout towards his own extended paw without saying a word

She looked at her purple friend, shame and pride mixing together within her " Ignitus was right, you are THE dragon"

" You both were always thinking too highly of me" he replied bashfully

" Don't hide behind modesty, you are perhaps the only one who can quench my temper. I know how painful it can be" she admitted shamefully

He shrugged " It's not that bad, I like it actually"

She smiled, yet it was a forced and sad smile " No you don't"

Spyro looked at her, sincerity shimmering in his amethyst eyes " I really do. You are special Cynder, you are different from anyone else I've ever met. Imagine a world where only dragons like me would exist, always smiling and always nice. You know how boring it would be?"

Cynder giggled, tears appeared in the corners of her eyes when she looked at him " I don't deserve a friend like you"

He waved his paw dismissively " Oh stop it"

" I'm serious"

He dropped the childish attitude and looked her straight in the eyes " You deserve so much more. Now I'm being serious"

She shook her head " No I don't, not after everything I've done"

" Cynder…"

" I'm a murderer Spyro, nothing more, nothing less"

" You are so much more!" he exclaimed " You are my friend, you are one of the most important people to me, you are the reason why I kept fighting, you are my strength"

A tear fell from her eye, Cynder smiled, no matter how many times he repeated how much she meant for him it still made her happy all the same. However the recent events didn't exactly allow her heart to fill with joy entirely

" If only everyone in our little group shared similar point of view" she whispered sadly

Spyro furrowed a brow " What are you talking about?" You are important for everyone here"

" Sparx would beg to differ"

He balked " No Cynder, it's not like that"

" He called me a murderer Spyro!" she exclaimed " I know that your brother isn't one of my biggest fans but still…"

" I'm sure he didn't meant that"

" Oh? When was the last time you've seen him acting like that? When was the last time he dropped his mask and showed what he truly thinks?"

Spyro opened his mouth but no sound came out, he frowned trying to remember a moment where his brother expressed his feelings without his usual sarcasm but just couldn't " I…I don't know" he muttered

" Exactly"

He looked at her " Since when do you care what people think of you?"

" I don't, but… I hoped that at least he would trust me a bit more, I've gave him my word that I will keep you safe, and I've kept it and he still calls me a murderer" with a sigh her head fell down " How I am supposed to redeem myself when even your own brother doesn't want to forgive me?"

" I know Sparx better than anyone, he would never do such a thing, not after everything we've been through. You had to misunderstood him"

" I'm not so sure about that"

" You know what? Stop thinking about it, forget about everything that happened, about very bad word or accusation and concentrate on the good things. Like when you've did everything to keep your promise and protect me for example, or how you helped Flare. Give your heart a moment of glory"

Cynder frowned, he was right, Sparx' words rekindled all this blame and guilt within her, it especially hurt when he was the one who rubbed salt into that wound. However Spyro was right, there was no sense to dwell on it, she tried to make up for her mistakes, if people can't see it, screw them.

Cynder smiled and looked at her purple friend with happy eyes " You ever thought about becoming a poet?"

Spyro chuckled " Nah, I've been too busy with staying alive lately"

She presented him a grateful smile " Thanks for cheering me up and…" she shrugged bashfully "…sorry for being a bitch"

" No harm done"

" Seriously, I don't know how you can stand me, most people would ditch me somewhere already"

Spyro smiled " And let someone else enjoy your company?" he shook his head " No way, you are mine"

She leaned closer " So you are saying that I'm your bitch?"

He scratched the back of his head " In a manner of speaking you…you could say that…yeah…but- "

Cynder faked a sob and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye " That's the sweetest thing somebody ever said to me" she cut him off

Spyro chuckled

" It still amazes me why you still don't have a mate" she smirked

He laughed " Shut up"

She soon joined him in his cheerful cry, for a moment they've forgot about the recent worries, all that mattered was this particular laugh. After a while Spyro flew away leaving her with her cheerful dreams, there was still one more thing to do.

Spyro began to fly next to his brother, the time of his conversion has just dawned, Spyro opened his mouth but didn't even manage to utter a single word before Sparx interjected

" Interview time, finally!" palpable sarcasm could be felt in the dragonflies' voice

" In the forest, what was all that about?" Spyro asked straightforward

" You've noticed that too? How dragons can be afraid of bugs…" he shook his head

The purple dragon frowned " Stop hiding behind wit, I want you to be serious, you've hurt Cynder with your words, how could you do such a thing after all this time?"

His brother sighed, he flew with his shoulders slumped down for a while in complete silence " It wasn't my intention" he finally replied with guilt filled voice

" You have to apologize to her"

Spar balked " What? No!"

" Sparx!" Spyro admonished him

" I'm not really good in this, I might screw up even more"

" I don't care, it's the action that matters not the words you use, she's smart, she will understand what you tried to do"

Sparx sighed once more " Fine Angel, just don't smite me. Are we done here?"

" No"

The dragonfly rolled his eyes " Why do I even ask?"

" Cynder is one thing, the other is Flare. Why did you so suddenly wanted to get rid of him?"

" Oh come on, give me a break! You want me to apologize to him too?" Sparx protested

" Just answer the question"

He sighed again " Flare has slaughtered many people, do we really need another Malefor right now?"

Spyro jerked back " What are you talking about? Flare is no Malefor. How could you even come to such assumption, it's just stupid"

" Is it? Our new friend here is special, who did ever see a burning dragon before huh? Just like nobody had seen a purple one before Malefor. Whatever some old dudes wrote in their books doesn't matter, back then when Malefor was the only purple guy out there he triggered fascination in everyone and what? Soon all those guys who drooled over him ate dirt, it doesn't matter that Flare's scales are different, people won't allow another Malefor to rise again, we are just giving them the perfect scapegoat"

Spyro thought about this for a moment, his theory perhaps made sense but no matter how long he dwelled on it he still thought that it is somewhat overdone " I don't know Sparx"

The dragonfly shrugged " Ok if you don't believe me then let Flare share with people his murderous past, let's see what happens then"

His brother might have a point, with Brill sitting in Warfang it is very likely that he might rouse a lynch mob after he would here about Flare's past " Maybe you are right"

" I am. Now, you are done interrogating me?" he threw Cynder a quick glance " I still need to humiliate myself"

" Yeah" with that he began to fly away but after a while he stopped, there was something bugging him in the back of his mind, something telling him that his brother wasn't entirely honest with him. He turned to face the dragonfly " You sure you've told me everything?"

" Did I forget to mention how great I am?"

Spyro frowned, there was still that nagging feeling but he just couldn't place his claw on it. With a shake of his head he discarded the thought, he might have been overreacting " Never mind" with that he turned to the fiery dragon " Flare, turn left!"

Sparx observed his brother for a while before turning to Cynder " Here goes" with a crack of his knuckles he approached the dragoness. " Hi Second Tail"

" Hi Fifth Wheel" she replied casually without even looking at him

That was it, they began to fly in silence as he was suddenly lost for words, Sparx began to look round the area to somehow break the awkward moment " Nice weather, huh?"

Cynder giggled " You actually might be related"

The dragonfly frowned in confusion " What?"

She shook her head with a smile still plastered on her snout " Oh nothing, just a loose observation"

" Yeah whatever, listen about that thing in the forest, I wasn't talking about you"

Cynder looked at him, not really surprised to see him apologizing since she knew Spyro would force him to do it, but that doesn't mean she can't tease him a little " Is that an apology Sparx?"

He snorted " Don't be stupid I just want to sort things out"

" Ohhh I think that's an apology"

" No it's not! Just shut up and listen!"

" Sparx feels bad and wants to apology, cute" she baby talked him

" I've told you already that I'm trying to clear things out!" he protested

" Apology, apology, apology" she repeated the same word in the childish manner while bobbing her head from side to side

" It's not an apology!" he exclaimed

" Sparx is apologizing, Sparx is apologizing, Sparx is apologizing!"

" Grow up!" he snapped "I'm leaving!" he flew away

Cynder grinned. It was nice of him to try to apologize to her, if she really didn't let him do that. Actions speak louder than words anyway.

Spyro flew next to Flare as they slowly progressed through the sky. It wasn't long before the foggy image of Warfang was coming into view. Spyro saw Flare slowing down, he looked at him just to see his eyes staring wide into the distance

" Flare what's the matter?" Spyro asked

" Whoa" the fiery dragon could only emit a gasp of awe

The purple dragon looked ahead and cursed his forgetfulness, Flare didn't even know how a tree looked like, then how is he supposed to know what a city is. The image of Warfang in the distance made Spyro think about his brother's words, perhaps he was right that Flare shouldn't be opening himself to the other people there, he remembered the situation at the temple and how easily Brill instigated the people there against Cynder, who knows what would happen if they found another dragon with a bad past.

Spyro turned to his fiery companion " Flare listen to me, it's very important that you won't tell anybody about your unfortunate occurrence with your roommates. You understand?" he asked cautiously and with a clear warning in his voice

Flare looked at him and quickly bowed his head " Of course" he replied hastily just like a slave would respond to his master

" You can tell about your past but skip the parts that involve killing and blood, ok?"

He nodded once again without making eye contact " Of course"

Spyro noticed his reaction but it was not the time now to figure it out, it's for the best. It wasn't long before the form of Warfang became more clear and solid, soon they will introduce to the population a creature nobody thought existed, only the Ancestors know what consequences it will bear.


	25. Chapter 7 Book II

Chapter 7

A short visit in the village of Boven, a discovery of a structure from a time long gone, a deadly fight with an almost indestructible creature and finally the meeting with a fiery dragon. All those things considered made the perfect image of their supposedly easy and boring assignment. It was supposed to be an eventless journey to a village far in the wilderness to tell the people there that they are overreacting, that there is nothing to worry about, a simple task that proved to be so much more.

Now they were only a few kilometers from the gates of the Dragon City, soon the Realms will learn of the phenomenon the three friends tried to keep a secret for some time. Anticipation could be felt amongst the group as they flew towards the brownstone walls, however not because of the same reason. Spyro looked behind to try and read the exact mood of his companions.

Flare's expectation differed from his, while he worried how the people will react when they meet the strange dragon his fiery companion clearly didn't share the same worry. Flare made an impression of a unbridled child who couldn't wait to check the new and cool stuff out, he was more driven by awe and curiosity than uneasiness.

Even Cynder didn't share the purple dragon's anticipation, she looked bored and tired as if she would be replaying a movie for the hundredth time with its ending embedded deep within her mind. She had that _let's get this over with_ look plastered on her snout. Sparx wasn't very happy about their comeback to the city either. He was sad and resigned, he did show signs of anticipation but it differed greatly from the rest of the group. While their expectations were focused on the closing city and the present, the dragonflies' expectation seemed more distanced, as if the things he expected to happen will happen but not today.

Warfang was still in its rebuilding phase, the city looked much more better than when they laid their eyes on walls and interior when they've emerged from the Forbidden Tunnel after their stop at the cheetah village. There was still much work to be done, even from here debris, holes and destroyed buildings could be seen, however not everything looked so drastic. Spyro's heart lightened up when he saw that the earlier piles of rubble were turned into brand new homes or other structures, when the laying stones were used to patch up the previously conspicuous holes. The city didn't surrender, it was on its way to reclaiming its former glory, to start a new era and leave the destructive past behind and no hole could change that.

No matter how nervous Spyro was about the whole situation he couldn't help but notice how funny the image below him looked like. As they were approaching the Dragon City they could hear people shouting, hammers working and cranes moving but the moment they've passed above them all the people and machines stopped moving. It was like they were freezing the city without using any ice magic, the farther parts of Warfang were alive while the others they have just left behind froze staring at them, even from here Spyro could see the people's wide eyes, even the caravan that was entering Warfang through its gate stopped moving. He smiled, at least for a bit he stopped thinking about his uneasiness.

The group moved forward and as they progressed the people that were now quite a far way behind them snapped from their shock and began running and flying after them. Soon almost the whole City was on their tails, the inhabitants looked like a huge pack of animals stalking them. Spyro looked at Flare, he didn't seem to care about the approaching horde of people, his eyes were constantly shifting from one thing to the other, not to mention that he rubbed his eyes every now and then, just like he couldn't believe what he was seeing and tried to snap out from his dream.

The purple dragon motioned for the group to descend when the huge arched building with many windows came into view. The group slowly made their way down and landed in the middle of the Grand Plaza, their claws clicked on the shining marble pavements the moment their paws touched them. Even the colorful fish seemed to notice their presence since they splashed the water in the small pond excitedly. Their goal was only a few meters away from there, a couple of steps and soon they will ascend the small staircase, pass the two imposing stony dragons and enter the City Hall through its huge adorned doors.

However they couldn't move, Flare was so taken aback by the sight that he just couldn't budge, but that doesn't mean he didn't move. The fiery dragon was wildly turning around, he looked into the small pond noticing the tiny fish with a gasp of shock, just to examine the lanterns around them, to finally take a glimpse of the two imposing statues that forced him to swallow in uneasiness.

" THIS- IS- AWESOME!" Flare exclaimed excitedly, pronouncing each word slowly " I can't believe my own eyes!" his voice carried through the courtyard without effort thanks to the eerie silence that has befallen on the Plaza currently.

Spyro didn't share his new companion excitement, he know it's just a calm before the storm and they will be better off when they wouldn't be in the middle of it " That's great Flare but we need to go, and fast"

The fiery dragon didn't notice the urgency in his voice, he looked into the pond once again eying the colorful fish swimming in there " What are those things?!" he exclaimed an excited question

" It's not the time for this right now!" the purple dragon admonished him " We need to go!"

Flare ignored Spyro's protest and began to examine one of the many dragon's statues littering the Plaza " Those statues are so cool! Who made them?"

" Flare move!"

Once again the red drake didn't pay any attention to the purple dragon, his curiosity pulled him towards the nearby lantern " It's so shiny!"

" That's great, but we really need to-" he was cut off by the increasing cacophony of thousand paws running through the streets. Spyro's head fell down " Too late…" he sighed resigned

Momentarily the reason behind all that commotion presented itself, hundreds of people purged into the Plaza. Shouting, screaming and talking, those were the sounds that followed in their wake as every inhabitant wanted to voice his or hers excitement one way or the other. Dragons began to descend from the sky, some decided to run in the company of the many moles and cheetahs. Young and old, everyone wanted to see up close what has their Savior brought at their doorstep.

The crowd ran until they could finally lay their eyes upon the strange burning creature standing next to the purple dragon. When the solid image of the fiery being formed itself before them, the mob gasped and came to an abrupt stop. The noise the people created vanished completely replaced by an awkward silence. The dust the mob created slowly roused behind them just like some kind of sand storm, the pole however weren't bothered by it, some unlucky ones who got stuck in the back tried to push forward towards the front rows to get a better view on the group that has just arrived.

Grinning widely Sparx moved ahead of the three dragons " Yes it's me, your hero!" he announced proudly " Now, now, I know that every one of you would want a moment with me but I just won't be able to handle all of you at the same time. I'm great but even I have my limits" he rubbed his hands together " So approach people! Come bathe in my glory! But please one at a time, heroes also need a bit of space"

None of the gathered people in the Plaza listened to him, their concentration focused on something else entirely. Some moles and cheetahs began to lean left and right to see past the hovering dragonfly who blocked their view.

One of the more impatient spectators let out an irritated snort and began waving his paw to a side " Move away Sparx, you are blocking the view!" one of the moles shouted

Sparx looked at the impudent rodent with furious eyes and folded his arms " What did you just say?!"

" Move away!" the mole repeated

The dragonflies' eyes flared up with pure hate " Oh you stinky rat, who do you think you are to order me around like that?!"

" Move!" some other people joined the mole in his protest

Sparx looked around, his confidence slowly ebbing away " But it's me! Your hero!" he exclaimed almost pleadingly

" MOVE!" even more people yelled

The dragonflies head fell down together with his arms " Always the same thing" he muttered defeated and flew to the side revealing the red dragon behind him

There were another gasps and another moment of awkward silence as the first rows of people slowly adjusted to the sight before them " What the hell is that thing Spyro?" a cheetah finally blurt out a plain question

" For starters, he is not an _it!_" Cynder scolded the cat

" Nobody asked you murderer!" a dragon growled

She took a deep breath " Nothing tastes better than an insult in the morning" she sighed " Home sweet home"

" So?" the crowd exclaimed impatiently

Spyro scratched the back of his head nervously " He…he…he is a dra…dragon" he muttered uneasily " We found him…in…in some ruins"

Unexpectedly the red dragon jumped forward " I'm Flare!" he exclaimed the moment he found himself close to a nearby dragon

The crowd jerked backwards with a gasp of surprise after the dragon's unexpected move.

Flare cocked his head and immediately jumped sideways " I'm Flare!" he introduced himself once again.

The crowd however reacted in the same way.

The red dragon took some steps backwards and scanned the mob carefully. He didn't really pay much attention before but now he did notice that these people here weren't dragons, well at least most of them weren't. There were some strange looking short creatures with long noses staring at him from behind their oddly looking glass covering their eyes, some others were bigger with pointy ears, sharp teeth and black dots all around their furry bodies. The dragons also weren't like the ones he used to see, they had colorful scales, red, green, yellow, blue were the majority, some were darker, sharper, however no matter how hard he looked he couldn't spot any other purple drake among the crowd.

" What the hell?" Flare muttered under his breath barely able to comprehend the sight before him

" He's a dragon?!" one of the ice drakes from the crowd snorted offended

Spyro swallowed hard, he wasn't really fond of giving speeches, not to mention that crowds intimidated him greatly " Ummm…yeah…"

" Have you seen his eyes!?" someone else exclaimed shocked

" I…I did, there's nothing to…to worry about…"

" You found him on that secret mission the Guardians sent you on, didn't you?" another question echoed throughout the Plaza

Spyro gulped, how did these people find about his assignment he wondered. However that was unimportant right now, he can't just tell them forthrightly that there are holes in the world " I assure you that…that we haven't been on…on any secret mission…"

" If the Guardians sent him away it has to be something important!" a cheetah exclaimed instigating the crowd despite Spyro's words

The increasing commotion made Spyro even more nervous " No…no it's nothing like that!" he shouted with a wavering voice

" What if he is dangerous?!" a terrified female shout resonated from the crowd

" That's not true!" the purple dragon yelled

The mob ignored him as it was slowly forging their own story " That's right!" someone yelled " The Guardians wouldn't send him away if it wouldn't be dangerous!"

" Please calm down, you are overacting!"

Spyro's pleading shout reached deaf ears, the sound of yelling increased as people started to outshout each other just to try and force their point across " What if the Dark Army managed to corrupt this dragon's egg too?!"

Fueled by terror, he crowd's cry only intensified after that suggestion

Cynder leaned over to Flare while observing the screaming mob " You know the meaning behind the reference _show someone a clean pair of heels_?"

The fiery dragon shook his head " No"

" You are about to find out" she whispered and withdrew her head while taking a cautious step backwards

" The Dark Army isn't involved!" Spyro yelled trying to calm the crowd

The people didn't listen " Yeah! What if it's about revenge? The Dark Army sends this creature to infiltrate us!"

Those words stirred the crowd even further, Spyro gulped the situation doesn't look good " guys please… nothing like this is happening" he fought valiantly but something told him that he already lost this battle

" I've always said that Malefor couldn't be so easily defeated!" another voice could be heard from the mob " He was a purple dragon, I'm sure he prepared a trap!"

" Why don't you listen?!"

" Is that TRUE Spyro?!" a large portion of the mob turned towards the purple dragon shouting accusingly, demanding an answer

" Of course not!" he snapped with a wavering voice

" Then tell us what's going on!" the demanding crowd pushed forward

Spyro swallowed and took a couple of steps back "I'm trying but you…don't-"

" We demand answers!" the mob moved forward once more cutting him off

He backed up even further" I know…you…do, I'm sure the Guardians-"

" Are we in danger?!" again the inhabitants interjected, and again they have advanced

" No…no… you are-" Spyro's voice vanished with a groan as he bumped into something, he looked behind his shoulder to see a lantern blocking his way, with a gulp he turned towards the people " …You are…safe" he muttered

" Then why all this secrecy?!" another push

" The…Guardians will explain everything…shortly. In fact…" he passed by the lantern " I'm going to ask them about this right now…" with that he directed himself towards the adorned door

" Where are you going?!"

Spyro threw the people a quick glance " I'll be back shortly"

The crowd's pace intensified " We have the right to know!"

He could feel their increased tempo but despite his nervousness the purple dragon tried to remain calm. Spyro looked behind his shoulder again " The Guardians will explain-"

" Is my family safe?!" the tempo of the mob's pursuit intensified

He could feel their pursuit, and perhaps despite his better judgment he sped up himself just to stay ahead " Nobody is going to get hurt"

" When will the Guardians come?!" the crowd didn't stop

" Soon…"

" We want to know the situation right now!" the mob sped up once more, one could say that they began to run after the purple dragon

The sound made Spyro extremely nervous, at this point he ceased walking and began to trot " The Guardian's will-"

"GIVE US THE ANSWERS! NOW!" the crowd roared angrily as they've kept chasing after the young drake

"RUN!" Spyro exclaimed horrified as he began to dash towards the City Hall's door. The crowd started their pursuit after the young dragon, shouting loudly behind him, he didn't care what they wanted anymore, his only concern was to get out of here, preferably as fast as possible.

He didn't have wait long for his group's reaction, in fact they were already way ahead of him just as if they expected something like this would happen. When Spyro reached the door surprisingly his companions didn't scold him for turning his tail, in fact they seemed to wait for him until he finally opens the door. He did that without hesitation, he pushed them forward creating a loud grinding sound that echoed throughout the whole City Hall and instantly jumped into the building with the two dragons following him.

Spyro looked around and noticed that there was only three of them inside the structure, he looked at the doors and noticed his brother hovering at the doorstep with his arms folded, just like some kind of knight ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to buy some more time for the people he swore to protect.

" Sparx!" Spyro shouted after his brother

The dragon remained adamant " You go, I will show them that this is no way to treat heroes" he replied determined

He sound of shouts intensified with ach second as the crowd kept advancing, Spyro looked ahead of his brother and gulped " I don't think it's going to work" he muttered with palpable fear in his voice

" Time of being ignored is going to end here" he replied confidently and raised his hand with his palm opened " You shall not pass!" he shouted with the best commanding tone he could muster while closing his eyes

The sound of footsteps never stopped increasing " You shall not pass!" he yelled once more, while opening his eyes and pushing his arm forward once again just to try and force his point across

The mob continued its demanding advance, Sparx eyes went wide in fear and his confidence was drained instantly " You shall not pass!" he mumbled

The crowd kept coming

" You shall- Uh-oh" he muttered the obvious, the crowd wasn't listening and was just about to reach him. It was then when suddenly a paw grabbed him and pulled him inside, slamming the door behind him

Sparx trashed inside the paw to break free, the door effectively muffled the shouts the crowd was creating, as demanding as the people were they know that barging inside the City Hall would be too much. After a moment of struggle the paw finally opened and the dragonfly darted into the air turning towards his brother that held him " What did you do?" he exclaimed indignantly " I've almost had them!"

" Of course you did" Cynder replied ironically

Sparx turned towards the black dragoness with an angry frown " They were about to stop!"

She slapped her forehead " You are right!" she shook her head pretending to be sad " How could I not see it? You wetting yourself was just a trick!"

The dragonfly folded his arms and snorted " If you were clever you would know that the thing I did never fails"

Cynder sighed " Seriously Sparx stop reading those fairy tales"

" I'm not reading any fairy tales!"

" Big talking dragons, moles in googles that build wonders, cats walking on two legs- this is real, the rest is fiction" she corrected the dragonfly

" What was that all about?" Flare mumbled shocked

Cynder grinned " Welcome to Warfang where superstitions are of no concern!" she snorted

Sparx patted the red dragon's shoulder " Now you probably wished that you had taken the chance to jump back through the portal"

" What were those short things? Overgrown rats?" the red dragon asked again

" Those creatures are called Moles, they've built this city. Basically they are the geeks who make all of this work"

" What are those tall furry creatures?" Flare blurt out another question, having a hard time absorbing the new information, his hectic voice a proof of that

" Cheetahs, the muscle of our little crazy town"

Flare started to pace around the room uneasily " Who is Malefor?"

" The bad guy" Sparx waved his hand " We already kicked his ass so no worries"

" Why did they think that I have anything to do with him?"

" Because the last dragon that looked different than the others turned out to be not exactly right in the head" the dragonfly leaned towards Cynder " No offense"

She shrugged " Whatever"

" And why did we run? Why didn't you stop them? You are the leader here" Flare bombarded the dragonfly with questions as confusion roused within him

Sparx grabbed one of the fiery dragon's horns and turned his head while pointing ahead " That's why"

The dragon looked in the way the dragonfly was pointing at and noticed three big old dragons. One was strangely green, one had amber scales while the last one looked just like he was made of ice. The three dragons were staring at him while piles of papers were falling down from the table they were currently occupying

Flare gulped " Who are they?" he whispered

" Gods" the dragonfly stated with palpable awe

" What?!" all three young dragons exclaimed in shock

Sparx looked at each confused drake, the moment he comprehended their reaction he shrugged " Gigantic Old Dudes"

Spyro and Cynder commented his announcement with a shake of their heads and cheerful smiles, Flare however looked sincerely scared and startled

" Are those Dudes dangerous?" he muttered

" Not if you know the secret greeting phrase, only then they will know that you come in peace" the dragonfly answered

" Geez Sparx, where do you get your ideas?" Cynder giggled

Flare ignored the dragoness' reaction, he was entirely focused on acquiring the supposedly crucial phrase " What is the greeting?" he asked impatiently

" Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?"

The drake lowered his head and closed his eyes, absorbing the words, making sure he wouldn't forget them " Sup' dudes, how's it hangin?', Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'…?"

" Not like that!" Sparx admonished the dragon gaining his attention " You have to say it free and easy. Watch" he cleared his throat "Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" as he spoke the words Sparx delicately moved his body while also gesticulated with his hands just like a true rapper would do

" Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" Flare repeated after the dragonfly, imitating his relaxed style

Sparx nodded " Close but not there yet. When you are speaking make your body bounce a little. Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" he followed his own advice " See?"

"Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" Flare repeated after the dragonfly with moderate success, his clumsy moves were getting somewhat in the way

" Great! Now add the paw. Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" he bounced and waved his hand

"Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" the dragon did what he was told

Sparx nodded "Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?"

" Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" Flare repeated

"Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?"

"Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?"

" Great!" Sparx exclaimed in triumph " You are ready, go get em' tiger!" and with that they've proceeded towards the Guardians

Spyro shook his head " Dear Ancestors…" he chuckled and followed the group

All three big dragons were sitting quietly as they've approached, with their eyes set on the fiery dragon that was now within their halls. As Flare moved towards them he felt more and more intimidated, they looked big when he looked at them from the entrance but now they seemed just huge, size wouldn't really made a difference for him if not for those six eyes that were sizing him up.

When the dragonfly stopped he stopped too, his head hanged low, Flare didn't have the courage to look them in the eyes from up close. Surprisingly the dragons didn't react to his approach, he kept staring at the floor and they've kept staring at him in complete awkward silence. The moment felt like it lasted forever, he was beginning to feel nervous but then he felt a shoulder poking him, he looked to the side too see and hear the dragonfly clearing his throat and motioning with his head.

Flare understood the sign, Sparx was encouraging him, telling him that it was now the proper time for a greeting. With a deep breath he raised his gaze and swallowed when the dragons jerked back with a faint gasp the moment he set his eyes upon them. It was time

He cleared his throat " Sup' dudes, how's it hangin'?" Flare said the phrase as much relaxed as he forced himself to be without forgetting of course about the odd moves

Instead of receiving a greeting from the big dragons something unexpected happened, the moment he finished his phrase his three companions burst out laughing. " What's going on?!" Flare asked in panic

He didn't receive however any answer as his three companions had a hard time catching breath, whatever he did wrong seemed to work, the cheerful cry forced the Gods to snap out from their trance.

Terrador shook his head and leaned closer towards the odd looking dragon making the fiery drake swallow and bend on his paws " And what do we have here…" his deep baritone voice echoed throughout the halls

" This is Flare" Spyro introduced his new companion

" Before we begin a piece of advice child " Cyril said annoyed while scolding the dragonfly with a cold gaze " Do not listen to those who have no idea about respect"

The Earth Guardian rolled his eyes " Cyril this is hardly the time for lecturing, as you can see-"

" This is plainly preeminent!" Volteer's excited cry cut him off while startling the young red dragon in front of him " My thesis was absolutely equitable! Through incomplex deduction we come to a conclusion that the cracks are some sort of a transparent, distinguished tears that grant means to commit a discreet excursion between one latent realm to the other. A conduit if you will, that merges two or more coexisting dimensions into one single composition-"

Sparx scratched the back of his head " What is he ranting about now?"

" Portals" Spyro replied

Flare leaned closer towards the two brothers " Is he talking to me?" he whispered " I don't understand a word"

The purple dragon let out a stifled chuckle " Not yet"

"… Let your mind envisage, reflect on the possibilities such outcome presents. This is what we all were so desperately waiting for! This is our opening to comprehend our world, to perhaps learn of its immense riches which are capable of mollifying the most exacting and unbridled craving. We would uncover what incidents, idiosyncrasies or components caused the creation of the present time we so much seep from! Who wouldn't be mesmerized by this!" Volteer's electric tongue kept waggling

" We cannot also neglect the opportunity to grasp the riches that can unveil the conundrum of our history. This glamorous excursion we just share insures a prospect to assemble priceless insight into our heritage! All the questions the brains of this world struggled to answer regarding our creation could finally be revealed, this constant indulgence may never again cause inconvenience for us! We could be finally free of that strain! I'm so inflamed! Imagine what-"

" I understand that this is very fascinating Volteer" Terrador interjected with his firm militant tone while rubbing his forehead " but don't forget that we have a guest who demands our immediate attention"

The Electric Guardian nodded " Of course, please forgive my short digression"

" Short?" Flare scoffed quietly making Spyro chuckle

Volteer leaned towards the odd looking dragon, fascination rekindled anew within his amethyst eyes " This is most peculiar, you friend seem to have an extraneous ancestry or perhaps you are a model of no impudent aptitude but an effigy of simple equivalence? Peculiar! Most peculiar!" he began to examine the young dragon from claw to horn " I've perused through every repository that challenged my mind and always such struggle concluded with me being triumphant and yet I've never witnessed a creature like you, and I have to gasconade- I've scrutinized every lore in- depth"

" Eyes in the color of the shining life giving sculptor of our Realm, pupils that aren't a factor of a draconic heritage. Avian ancestry perhaps? Unlikely, no member of a specie present in our realm proficient to hybridize with reptilian origins. Mayhap you are a model of a future evolution process, nature and magic are concatenated, both shaping elements follow one pattern- enhancing their creations. Stringent circumstances forced the adaptive transformation, hence the pupils- cat's eyes. Are you a nocturnal?"

Before even Flare had the chance to utter a sound the Electric Guardian continued " But what of this flaming characteristics? Modesty aside I would like to devise an answer, feline heritage is doubtful, no cheetah burns and lives. Why the symbol of purity? I must affirm, never have I perceived such abberence. I'm not contrite to ascertain my indisposition, I'm not able to comprehend this phenomenon, we depend on your interpretation friend."

" Does your heritage stem from an unprecedented as to this day affiliation? Are does bright components which are the key composition of your creation a means of the vigorous forces of life to formulate your resilience against the pestiferous forces that overshadow your realm? Or my assumptions are wholeheartedly erroneous, not having anything commutual with truth. Perhaps the gist behind this anomalous phenomenon is somewhere else?"

Silence has filled the room, Flare observed the amber dragon with his mouth agape. The words were coming from the drake's mouth in such a fast pace that he couldn't keep up with them. When he tried to make a sense from an earlier sentence, he was instantly bombarded with a one or many new ones leaving the fiery dragon confused.

After a while Flare noticed that something has changed, the old dragon's mouth stopped moving, he looked at each and every member of this meeting and every single one of them was watching him as if expecting an answer. Flare couldn't give one, he didn't understood the question

" Come again?" he muttered bashfully, hoping most likely in vain to make sense of the words this time

" Does your heritage stem from an unprecedented as to this day affiliation? Are does bright components-"

" Enough Volteer! My head hurts already!" Cyril growled " Spare us your ranting, whatever sound sensors were left sizzled the moment you started babbling, there is nothing left to protect our brains"

The Electric Guardian didn't seem at least a bit offended when he turned towards the ice dragon " Don't fret Cyril, if the illusion of your royal legacy that you try to retain would indeed existed you would have the wit to comprehend every detail."

The Ice Guardian snorted, puffing an icy mist through his nostrils as a result " The more time I spend with you the better I start to understand that I'm the best of my royal lineage, I doubt there would be anyone strong enough to deal with you every day!"

" That's enough!" Terrador growled irritated " Do we really have to go through this every time?" he sighed " How Ignitus could stand the two of you I have no idea"

Flare leaned towards the black dragoness " What's going on?' he whispered

Cynder giggled " Nothing"

He frowned " Nothing? If you haven't noticed they are arguing"

" That's a shocker" she faked a surprise

Terrador shook his head " What our friend wanted to ask…" the baritone voice drew the red dragon's attention " … is if your parents are dragons"

Flare shrugged " I don't know"

The Earth Guardian jerked back " You don't?"

" Nope, I've never met them"

" Child you have never know your parents and you say it so casually?" Cyril frowned

The dragon shrugged once more " I never thought about it, I had other…duties"

Terrador narrowed his eyes on the young dragon " And who are you exactly to completely dismiss the idea of finding your own family?"

" I was a prisoner"

" A prisoner? In a such young age? What have you done?"

Flare lowered his head and concentrated, just like Spyro has told him, he has to avoid mentioning anything about killings and the like. With his mind set he rose his head after a while " Nothing, I was born into a prison, I knew about the existence of only two rooms, one where I've been constantly put to different tests, and second, where they disposed of the ones who caused the most trouble"

" Wait, then the room we found you in… it had _DISPOSAL_ written above its entrance" Spyro mused loudly " The Keeper was about to kill you"

" Keeper?" Terrador asked

" I'll explain later"

Flare nodded " Yep, I was about to take my final bath in a pool of magma. Disobedience is a death sentence"

" You want to tell us that you've spent your whole young life in a cage?" Cyril interjected somewhat shocked

The fiery dragon shook his head " No, not in a cage. I was being kept in a very big room"

The Ice Guardian looked around at all of the other dragons in confusion " And what did I just say?"

Cynder leaned closer towards the old dragons " He's not really good when it comes to metaphors" she whispered while throwing the red dragon a kind smile

" Who are _they_?" The Earth Guardian's militant tone echoed throughout the room

Flare took a breath, and threw Spyro an angry glance, a slight flicker of hate could be seen within his yellow eyes " Purple Dragons"

A slight commotion has arisen within the City Hall as every Guardian was shocked to hear the revelation, they all were speaking at the same time, creating a one incomprehensible chaos. Only his three companions were watching him in complete silence, they were surprised but not shocked, his behavior towards the young purple dragon had to give them a clue.

" This is an absurd!" Cyril snapped

Terrador narrowed his maroon eyes on the red dragon " Young one, are you certain they were purple dragons?"

Flare swallowed, the way how the green dragon asked that question intimidated him " Y…yes"

The Earth Guardian straightened up and exchanged meaningful looks with the other two Guardians which only they could understand. A moment later he turned to the fiery drake again " You have to understand our surprise, here purple dragons are born every ten generations" he motioned with his head towards Ignitus' former pupil " Spyro here is the only purple dragon alive"

The red dragon frowned " Only one?"

" Only one. How many purple dragons were present back where you lived?"

Flare shrugged " I don't know" he began to think " But I guess as just as many as there are dragons here in this city, maybe even more"

" These is an inconceivable disclosure!" Volteer blurt out excited " A metropolis upcasted by many purple paws working in unison. A city filled with entities appraised as saviors and heroes. Once more let your mind envisage, and ponder at the thought of a whole population consisted of beings proficient enough to challenge foreordination itself! Just conceive what our minds could feast upon. Who knows, perhaps the purple dragons of previous era were the ones accountable for transcribing the Prophecy as we perceive it at present. So much knowledge remains unseen behind these veils of time!"

" How much I hate to admit it, I have to say that Volteer is right" Cyril stated with his typical cold tone before he craned his neck towards the fiery dragon " Were those purple dragons speaking about some prophecy? Or perhaps they were transcribing it already?"

Flare shrugged " I dunno"

The Ice Guardian snorted irritated " So were they maybe harnessing the powers of some crystals, that allowed them to wield four elements at once?"

" I dunno"

" Child" Terrador interjected " You've spent your whole life with them, you have to know something. Give us more than just _I dunno_"

The red dragon scratched the back of his head thinking " Well…they were talking that the most talented prisoners were the key of some sorts"

" A key?" Cyril blurt out interested " A key for what? Power? Knowledge? What?"

Flare shrugged " I dunno"

The two Guardians sighed and shook their heads in resignation, only Volteer remained focused

" Don't let your spirits be daunted, the lack of any beneficial insight from our friend here sanguinely thinking didn't condemned us for obtuseness. The tremendous quantity of lore in our vault that are yet vague may be elucidated by our youthful friend here"

The red dragon leaned towards Spyro " What he wants from me? I've only understood _friend" _he whispered

The purple dragon smiled " Relax, nothing drastic. Volteer just wants you to read and translate some dusty texts for him"

Flare's eyes shot wide open, he instantly looked horrified " R-r-r-r-read and w-w-w-w-write?" he stammered

Terrador nodded, agreeing with the idea of his amber partner " Young one, we would greatly appreciate if you would help us to solve some mysteries that linger on Volteer's mind for a while. Your reading and writing abilities might prove to be invaluable here"

The red dragon looked at the ground " I d-d-d-d-don't think t-t-t-t-that I w-w-w-w-will be-"

Sparx clapped his hands cutting off the young drake " It's starting!" he exclaimed and hovered next to the fiery drake "I'll translate it will be quicker that way, don't worry I'm an expert" he motioned for the red dragon to continue " Go on"

Flare looked even more nervous than before " b-b-b-be h-h-h-h-helpful, I d-d-d-don't k-k-k-know what t-t-t-they w-w-w-w-were doing. I w-w-w-will c-c-c-"

" Clear up" Sparx finished the sentence

The fiery dragon threw him a nervous glance before he began to stare at the ground again " c-confuse y-y-y-you"

The three Guardians exchanged puzzled looks between each other before Cyril turned towards the fiery dragon " Why did you began to stammer? Are you nervous about something?"

Flare shuffled uneasily " N-n-n-no of c-c-c-c-course not. I'm j-j-j-just i-i-i-"

" Impolite" the dragonfly finished the sentence once more

The red dragon threw him another nervous glance " I-i-i-ill"

The ice Guardian scolded the dragonfly with his cold gaze before concentrating on the young dragon " Do you know the basic way to tell if someone is lying?" there was a moment of silence " They can't look you in the eyes"

" S-s-s-sorry, I'm r-r-r-really u-u-u-"

" Unafraid"

Another look that made the red dragon even more fearful " u-u-uneasy"

Terrador snorted irritated " That's enough Sparx!" he snapped " Thank you for your help"

Cyril narrowed his cold eyes on the fiery drake " Why are you so nervous? What are you trying to hide? Why don't you want to help us understand some old books? Speak!" he growled

Flare flushed with his nose almost touching the ground " I c-c-c-can't-" he stammered, his voice wavered even more than before

" Whoever you are trying to protect or you are afraid of is not here. Speak!" the ice dragon growled again, this time however his tone of voice sounded more commanding than ever before

The blush on the red dragon's snout only intensified " I c-c-c-can't w-w-w-write and r-r-r-read" his stammer could be barely heard through his whispering

Cyril was taken aback by the news " What?" he blurt out ashamed " You are illiterate? I…I… I thought that…"

Terrador scolded the Ice Guardian with an angry look " Next time Cyril let the person you are questioning explain himself before you jump to conclusions"

The dragon only nodded shamefully

Volteer looked slightly discouraged by the news but he didn't drop his cheerful attitude anyway " Poignant news indeed, however everything can be rectified" he smiled while turning towards the young dragon " If your desire is great I could help you amend the depravity so unjustly inflicted upon you"

Flare didn't have the courage to raise his head, the amber dragon was clearly offering something but he just didn't understand what

Cynder leaned closer " If you want Volteer can teach you how to write and read" she said with kindness and pity ringing in her voice

The red dragon's eyes shot wide open as his head instantly found itself on the correct height " Really?" he blurt out, the nervousness that haunted him began to subside

The Electric Guardian nodded

Flare winced " But…we'll start with some simple words right?"

A chuckle from every creature gathered in the City Hall echoed throughout the room

" One day friend, you will perhaps write about that crystal in your chest" Volteer stated

The red dragon stared at the amber dragon, shocked when he realized that he understood every word, shocked to see the old dragon using simple words just as if show him that there is nothing to be afraid of. Then he focused on the meaning of those words, and that shocked him even more " Crystal? What crystal?"

The Electric Guardian pointed at his chest

Flare followed his direction, the moment he noticed the red gem embed into his orange scales his eyes widened " Whoa, that's new"

Terrador frowned " You weren't aware you had that?"

He shook his head " Nope"

" Engrossing disclosure!" Volteer exclaimed excited in his now typical manner " The tears unveil yet another undermining challenge for our minds to oppose! If I was granted more moons in the gracious unrelenting passing I would experiment-"

The red dragons eyes flared up as he took a defensive stance " NO!" he roared

Everyone gathered in the room gasped after the unexpected roar. Terrador was the first to shake off the feeling of surprise " Young one, nothing is going to-"

" NO!" Flare roared again, flames bursting forth from his nose " I'll rather die!"

" Flare no one is forcing you to do anything. Calm yourself"

" But he said-"

" Volteer only said that he would like to check your gem" Terrador cut off the young dragon " If you don't agree it's fine, nothing is going to happen without your consent"

Flare shuffled, his outburst was unnecessary, he felt stupid, he jumped in time after all " Sorry, I didn't mean to-" his voice trailed off when an sweet aroma caressed his nostrils. He took a deep sniff and the moment he did that a delicious scent invaded his nostrils that made his mouth water and forced his tongue out

The Earth Guardian smiled " It seems that something else is more important right now. Spyro if you may, take your friends, we need to talk"

The purple dragon nodded and made his way towards the corridor that led to the Mess Hall with his friends following him. To the Guardians' surprise one dragon kept watching them

Flare's eyes jumped from one dragon to the other " So what are we going to talk about?"

The Guardians looked at each other and shook their heads

" Flare come on!" a familiar giggling female shout reached him. He blushed when he realized that the talk didn't include him. With burning cheeks he darted after the dragoness.


	26. Chapter 8 Book II

Chapter 8

As the group slowly made their way through the illuminated by the many torches corridor the sound of commotion was intensifying. People were gathered in the Mess Hall, spending their time as they usually do. Some were here because they had a break from their strenuous work, some came here to meet with their friends and family members, some came here only because they were hungry.

Whatever the reason they had to be in this place, all of this people had one thing in common- all of them were enjoying their free time. Cheerful laughs and shouts echoed throughout the Mess Hall as people told jokes, talked with each other or simply picked at one and another just for fun's sake. It was their free time, whatever problems they had were pushed down the second plan, it was their moment of happiness and it seemed like nothing in the whole world existed that could hinder it.

The three friends were already smiling and talking with each other, just as if the ambience governing in that room was slowly but steadily taking control over them, only one member of the group stood out. Flare was currently leading his companions through the corridor, since he joined the group as the last one there was a time when he remained in the back, following them as he usually did. However as seconds passed he was pushing his way forward until he took the lead, it was not the atmosphere or simple curiosity that drove him but the delicious scent of food, the fiery drake was walking with his neck craned as far as he could manage and his nose ceaselessly sniffing.

The hallway eventually stretched and the light from the windows started to beam into the slightly illuminated corridor, just as they would be leaving a dim tunnel into the bright outdoors. It seemed like they did just that, but instead finding their way into a vivacious scenery they've landed in some sort of a barren and dead land.

The moment they've entered the Mess Hall all the cheerful sound immediately died down, not even a shallow breath could be heard, all of the people just froze in place, staring in their direction. Flare balked, as strange as it looked he still thought that this was just another one of those odd excesses the people in this city had, something that they shared with the agitated crowd that chased them earlier the moment their claws barely touched the ground.

His three other companions knew exactly what was going on, it might be even the first time that their female companion didn't draw to herself all those confused and somewhat angry looks, now the people's attention was entirely focused on the red young dragon in front of them. The three of them took the time to look around, the people here were like statues, if not for their moving chests in the rhythm of their working lungs one could take them exactly for that.

The shocked people of Warfang as strange as they looked weren't exactly the reason why they came here. The group scanned for a free table, spotting one wasn't that difficult with all these inhabitants frozen in place, it didn't take them long to notice a free spot amongst the hungry crowd, it was the exactly same table they occupied before, just like people here got accustomed with the idea that this table belongs to Spyro and his friends.

The purple dragon poked his red companion gaining his attention, he then took the lead and made his way towards the table with all of the members of his little group following behind his tail. As they walked, the people also seemed to come to life, some were still standing still, only their eyes moved following them, just as if eyes of some painting in one of those horror movies. Some people were already walking, yet their eyes never left the fiery dragon.

While they continued towards the table they've noticed an earth dragon in their age walking towards them with a platter held in his mouth, his eyes never leaving the red dragon. As they've passed by him Flare took a look behind his shoulder, the green dragon was walking in a straight line constantly staring at him. The dragon's eyes focused solely on one point made him oblivious to his surroundings, he never saw a mole standing in front of him, the dragon bumped into the creature letting out a faint gasp while the food jumped and fell from the platter. That wasn't the end however, the moment the dragon bounced off the mole he hit an empty chair toppling it over, as the chair fell on the ground the dragon tripled over its wooden legs and landed on the ground, the plate he held clattered on the floor throwing all the food across the room.

Flare winced, and quickly started to walk right next to the black dragoness while constantly looking around " Is it just me or are they all staring at me?" he whispered

Cynder smiled

Before she could utter a word she was cut off by the sound of Sparx' clapping hands " A point for your sharp perception man!"

He wasn't moved by that sarcasm, the confusion that filled him currently was the most palpable emotion right now " But why?"

" Flare take a look around and tell me what you see" Cynder encouraged the red dragon

He did what he was told " Tables, windows, some doors, people, mostly people. Dragons of different colors, those short moles, and furry cheetahs"

She nodded " Ok, concentrate on the dragons. What do you see?"

" Well…as I said they have different colors, just like you which is quite cool, I've never thought that dragons had different scales. Umm…they also have strange tail tips, they differ from one another greatly. What else? Hmm…"

" That's enough. Now look at yourself"

" Ok…." he replied sheepishly and began examining himself " I'm a fire dragon, I have red and orange scales with a delicate hint of yellow. My wings look like a flame…" his voice trailed off as realization struck him " Oh"

Cynder commented this with a smile

" Whoa dude, you are getting better " Sparx sarcastically praised the drake " You actually managed to figure something out almost on your own"

Flare just grinned proudly

As they sat at the table Spyro watched the fiery dragon with a thoughtful grimace on his snout " You said that you didn't think that dragons with differently colored scales existed?"

He wanted to reply immediately but the moment he laid his eyes on the purple dragon a thought crossed his mind " I don't get one thing" he looked at the dragonfly " If you are his boss why don't you have any authority over him?"

" Because he is no boss" Cynder answered bluntly

" Nobody asked you!" Sparx snapped before he looked at the red dragon and sighed " But yeah, I'm not his boss"

Flare absorbed the information, yet he didn't look shocked, just as if he was expecting it " You are the leader?" he asked Spyro " Then why didn't you stop the crowd?"

" I-"

" He is no boss either" Sparx interjected

Flare smiled happily " That's great! So it means that the Dudes rule right?"

Cynder scolded the dragonfly with a quick glance " First and the most important rule when you know that nobody here is the true ruler- don't listen to Sparx. Secondly the three dragons you talked with are not _Dudes _but Guardians, each of them represents a different element, they rule this city so respect demands that you remember that."

Sparx waved his hand " Don't listen to her, we are going to have so much fun together" he grinned evilly and snickered

" When it comes to showing you around…well just don't trust him"

The dragonfly frowned, a corner of his mouth turned into a smirk " Now that's just not fair. I cannot be trusted? Ok then, come on and let's ask somebody here who would they trust more, me or you. You game?"

Cynder snorted

Sparx grinned " See man? There is nothing to worry about"

" With that out of the way, could you please answer my question now?" Spyro asked

Flare sneered " I don't have to do anything"

The purple dragon balked " Huh?"

" You are not leading here, so as far as I'm concerned your word means nothing"

" Flare!" Cynder admonished the fiery dragon " What did I tell you about-"

Spyro raised his paw, giving a clear signal to his friend that it's about time he handled this himself " Listen Flare I don't know, hell I don't even understand how you could be held in a prison built by purple dragons in the first place, but that doesn't mean that everyone is like that"

" You can't even imagine what your kind did to me!" Flare growled

" Ok perhaps I don't, but even that doesn't change things, you can't judge people by past actions which they couldn't affect in any way. People might talk behind someone's back but when you actually get to know that person they so happily insult you might find that whatever you heard before is a lie and the person you've met becomes actually your best friend"

Spyro looked at Cynder and smiled. The dragoness thanked him with a shy smile and a blush while she averted her gaze the moment their eyes met.

" Everyone is different" he finished with a soft tone and turned to the fiery dragon

" Everyone maybe, but not you!" Flare replied unconvinced " I've been around you my whole life, you are all the same. There is nothing that will make me trust you, nothing"

" Ok I understand, I just hope that I will change your mind one day. Whatever reasons you have for hating me doesn't prevent you for showing a bit of tolerance, especially when someone saved your life." His voice becoming more stern with every second " I don't expect and don't want any gratitude or to be in your debt but honor demands that you will at least be willing to talk to me, especially when we are going to bump into each other for quite some time I think"

Silence has befallen at the table, everyone was staring at the purple dragon in awe

" Wow" Cynder let out an surprised and somewhat intimidated breath

Spyro frowned confused " What?"

Flare leaned towards the dragonfly " Are you sure he is not a leader?"

Sparx snorted " Hell no, he is too cowardly to be a boss"

" Hey!" his brother protested " I'm not a coward"

" Oh really?"

" Really"

Sparx raised in the air and cleared his throat " Excuse me kind people, my brother wants to-"

" Ok you win!" Spyro let out a stifled and terrified shout " Now get back here!"

The dragonfly descended and grinned " See?"

Flare remained silent, a thoughtful frown on his snout clearly showing that he was battling with his thoughts. Moments later he sighed, even if unwillingly honor demands that he acts

" To answer your question…" Flare gained the attention of everyone currently at the table " No, I thought that red dragons like me and purple ones were the only ones that existed"

" You weren't surprised to see me though" Cynder said " and I'm far from normality so to speak"

The red dragon eyed her carefully, she stood out from the rest and obviously didn't belong to the any earlier mentioned groups, yet it didn't trigger in him any sign of shock. " I don't know…maybe I've heard someone talking about you…or maybe that…" he shook his head, nothing coming to his mind " I don't know, but that's good right? If I'm not shocked to see you that means you are normal"

" Don't hold your breath" Sparx commented

Flare shrugged " Ok I won't"

The dragonfly slapped his forehead " Right, I've forgot about that"

She giggled " it was a correct response, no worries"

Spyro all this time was scratching the edge of the table with his claw thoughtfully " The Keepers…cages…disobedience…" he looked at Flare " Was it some kind of a rigoristic training facility for fire dragons?"

The fiery dragon shrugged " I don't know, maybe"

" What were they doing to you?" he asked and winced soon after " I mean…if it's not too much to ask" Spyro mumbled

Flare took a breath and began to stare at the top of the table just like it was some kind of mirror in the past " Fights…punishments…experiments, every day and all day long"

Cynder observed the fiery drake sadly

" Then it was a training facility!" Spyro exclaimed happily knowing that his deduction was right " I wonder what- Ow!" he blurt out when something cold slapped him in the back. He turned to see a black tail retreating, looking up he saw Cynder's angry frown, her expression scolding him for the lack of tact. He scratched the back of his head nervously " I mean…I'm sorry to hear that, but do you know what they did this to you?" he asked softly, managing to quell the excitement of his natural curiosity

Flare shrugged once more " I didn't really had the time to think about it"

Spyro huffed, it was so strange, purple dragons, prison, everything else related with it…it was mind-boggling but there is nothing he can do about it now, perhaps the confusion will be lifted in time.

He pulled himself up " I'm going to grab something to eat. Cynder you want something?"

She shook her head " No thanks, I will have to deal with those hags sooner or later anyway"

" I'm coming too!" Flare exclaimed and got up"

" Flare stop" Cynder halted him " Can't you see the line? Sit and wait for a while"

He looked hurt " But I'm hungry…"

" You are going to leave me here alone?"

Flare sighed defeated, he didn't want to offend her " Ok…I'll wait"

The brothers exchanged confused looks between each other before they made their way towards the counter. Cynder watched them go, as soon as they were a safe distance away she turned to the fiery dragon

" Listen to me very carefully, if you ever again talk to Spyro like that I swear I'm going to punch you" she stated firmly " Did I make myself clear?"

Flare gulped " But-"

" There is no buts about it. Spyro did things for these people nobody else could, he doesn't deserve this"

" Whatever he did doesn't matter, he is a purple dragon, it al-"

" He is my lo…" she interjected and bit her tongue soon after "…I mean friend and I won't allow my best friend to be insulted. Do you understand this?"

He sighed " Honor demands that I respect your wishes right? Ok I will restrain myself but I'm trying to protect you here, you will one day end up regretting this friendship"

" You don't have to protect me, I can take care of myself"

Flare shook his head " Don't say I didn't warn you"

Cynder sighed and raised her gaze just to see a cheetah passing behind her fiery companion, the cat was holding a plate and staring at the red dragon. The feline walked slowly ahead, just like some kind of construct, some part of his mind subconsciously pushing him forward as if trying to fulfill an order that was given to it by the feline some time ago, while the rest was occupied with the image of the fiery drake.

Cynder grinned " Come on I've got an idea" she got up and moved towards the counter with Flare following her

The two of them balanced through the tables and mostly still confused people and arrived at the end of the queue of people waiting for their turn to receive food. For a while they stood patiently behind a green dragon who seemed to not pay any attention to them, the same thing couldn't be said about the people in front of the drake. Even from here Cynder could see their quick glances threw towards the two of them, not to mention that she also noticed fingers pointing at them and heard silent whispers.

The green dragon in front of them remained unmoved for a while but moments later he shifted as he could no longer stand the commotion in front of him and had to finally check what is so shocking. The moment he turned his head his eyes widened as he spotted the odd fiery dragon, the green drake seemed to be paralyzed by the sight.

Cynder grinned and pushed forward with her companion following him " Hello" she greeted the drake as she passed by him yet she never received a response.

The same thing happened with every other hungry inhabitant that was in the queue blocking their advance. The two of them were just passing by them and the people in their shock didn't even seem to care that somebody is taking their place to the counter. After some time they reached their destination.

The moment a black snout emerged from behind the corner the female moles serving the food were just about to start throwing insults, however when a strange dragon with even more strange eyes emerged right after the black dragoness the moles gasped simultaneously in shock.

Cynder smiled " Hi, I'd like my food"

" Me too!" Flare exclaimed right after her

The moles reacted just as the cheetah she saw earlier. The part of their minds that directed the movements of their limbs ordered the moles to serve food just like they would be serving it to any other dragon, while the bigger part was dizzied by shock. It wasn't long before the plates with food landed on the counter and were ready to be collected.

" Thanks" Cynder picked up the plate and headed towards the table grinning and with her tail wagging in a triumphant manner, Flare closely following her.

Spyro observed her with a broad smile on his snout as she sat at the table and placed the plate on its top. Feeling his gaze on her she turned around and winked

" Nice" he congratulated her

" What did you expect bro?" Sparx took a bite of his meal " Malefor wouldn't choose a complete idiot to be his sidekick, there has to be something under that skull"

" Why thank you" Cynder replied surprised " Who would have thought you are such a flatterer?"

" Before you start imagining things Cyn know that you have no chance, I'm way outta your league"

" No!" she exclaimed with the most hurt and desperate voice she could muster " What I will now do with my life now, Ancestors, what?!"

Sparx casually took another bite " Look carefully and you might find someone crazy enough who might actually like you"

" I like you!" Flare interjected

Cynder smiled kindly at the response, Sparx however threw the dragon only a quick glance " You don't count"

" Hey! Why not?"

" Don't get me started, let's just say that you are not fit for that"

Flare narrowed his eyes on the dragonfly " Yeah? Just like you aren't fit for leading!" he snarled

Spyro winced " Oh hoho, right in the spot!"

Sparx raised his finger threateningly " Dude watch it"

" I don't know how could I believe that you actually ruled-" Flare continued to taunt the dragonfly

The dragonflies' chest swollen with pride " I'm a material for a leader, without my advices we wouldn't be here where we are now"

" Nu-uh, you are way too small, nobody would listen to you"

Sparx frowned and pointed an angry finger at the red dragon " Size doesn't matter!"

Flare nodded casually " Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that"

" You can't judge a book by its cover"

The red dragon frowned confused, he didn't know what have books to do with it

Sparx faked a surprise " Oh I'm sorry you didn't understand that, right?" he scoffed and returned to his meal " Too bad for you"

" Now that's just mean!"

After some time their bickering ended and they could continue to eat in silence. At least the three of them could, Flare wolfed down his portion the moment there was a slight break in the conversation and now was staring hungrily at the plates of his draconic companions. The two of them knew what their new companion didn't do- enjoy the meal and not devour it since no more was coming.

As they ate Flare looked down at his empty plate sadly " I'm still hungry"

" You can always get more" Sparx announced, an evil smile formed itself in the corner of his mouth

Both young dragons looked from their plates at the dragonfly, they both knew what he was up to

" I can?" the fiery dragon asked hopefully

The dragonfly pointed at the door leading to the kitchen " See those? There is one of the nicest and lovely cheetahs in there. She will get you anything you want"

Without any word Flare darted into the kitchen

Sparx snorted " I'll give you leader…"

The whole Mess Hall felt silent as everyone was expecting to hear a commotion and terrified screams of the unfortunate one who fell for that trap again. The silence only was broken by some stifled giggles when some of the people couldn't hold back their excitement. Minutes have passed and the silence still lingered there, confusion roused within the ranks of the eating inhabitants, it never took so long for the cook to kick someone out.

The same confusion has befallen on the table which the three friends occupied, even if something told them that they knew what was happening it still managed to surprise them. Soon the door of the kitchen flung open, everyone gasped in anticipation, waiting for that moment when the screaming starts, nothing like that happened.

Instead of the burly cheetah throwing the dragon on his butt a fiery tail emerged which pushed the door open, then the rump and finally the whole body of the young dragon. There was even something more shocking than his unscarred hide, as Flare turned around people noticed that he held a plate, and not the plate they were used to see, this one was filled with plenty of food.

As Flare walked back to his table every eye was on him, following his every move. He didn't mind, his own eyes were pretty preoccupied at the moment as well. He sized the food before him with an hungry glare, it was like his yellow eyes burned with the same bright flame as his wings. He placed the plate on the table, sat and licked his mouth, preparing for a feast.

Sparx watched him with wide eyes " How the hell…?"

Flare cocked his head hearing the surprise in his voice " What?"

" How did you do that?"

Before the red dragon could answer the sound of a scratching chair across the floor could be heard, as they turned around they saw a cheetah getting up " That's impossible!" the feline exclaimed incredulously " She's dead or something?" with that the cat darted into the kitchen

They didn't have to wait long for the result, commotion roused within the kitchen, screams, thuds and clatters were resonating from behind the door. Soon the brave cheetah who entered the kitchen barged into the Mess Hall with a frying pan flying just behind him, the inhabitants burst out laughing as everything returned to normal. The burly female cheetah without any word picked up the frying pan and returned to the kitchen while throwing the cheetah who entered her kitchen a hateful glare. The cat who now hugged the chair rose up and threw Flare a look full of disbelief.

The fiery dragon didn't notice that, his concentration was focused on the currently swinging door of the kitchen " What was that all about?"

Sparx shook his head " It's not important, what matters is how did you manage to get the food? Big Mamma was supposed to kick you out on your fiery ass"

Flare jerked back " What? Why?"

The dragonfly sighed " For all your burning parts you are not very bright. Never mind, just answer the question"

"There's no much to tell, I've got in there asked for food, the people in there just stared at me mumbling something under their breaths, I took that for a _yes, _grabbed what I wanted and left"

Spyro grinned " Looks like Sparx you are losing your magic"

The dragonfly frowned " We'll see about that"

* * *

" What is that thing?" Spyro asked while almost pressing his nose to the glassy jar

Inside the jar was something he has never seen before, it was a strange small looking creature. Its body was covered with some kind of chitin husk, a pair of barely visible black eyes could be seen on its head. It had a form of an insect, it was quite long for its tiny size, just like some insects this critter had a pair of large for its size pincers with claws in the middle, even if the creature was small the pincers definitely were capable of tearing parts of flesh with ease.

One thing was certain, this creature was feral. It kept hissing at everyone it noticed presenting a round mouth with many razor sharp teeth. The critter turned around and noticed a purple snout in front of it. The creature hissed and momentarily attacked, yet it was helpless in its prison, it bounced off the glass with a loud thud forcing the purple dragon to withdrew his head just in case.

" Aren't you a friendly one" Spyro commented sarcastically

The creature hissed once again in response and began to bounce off the glass clapping its pincers and hissing threateningly.

" Ugh" Sparx curled his nose in abhorrence " If I didn't know you Cynder I would say that this is the ugliest thing I ever saw"

" Sweet" Cynder replied unconcerned while leaning towards the jar

The critter noticed that and tried to punish the curious reptile for her curiosity

" It doesn't look like anything we ever encountered" she scratched the glass taunting the creature inside. Its hissing only got louder

" Even bugs hate you, you have a knack for pissing things off" the dragonfly stated

Cynder shrugged " Everyone is good at something"

" Then it's even worse than I thought" a mole with a bloody bandage around his arm muttered aggravated " I hoped that the Dark Army was involved, we would at least know a bit what we are up against"

" Why you are bringing up the Dark Army all of a sudden?" Terrador asked

" We spotted a group of orcs and apes in the north somewhere around the Tall Plains as we traveled here, luckily they ignored us"

" The Dark Army here?" Cyril blurt out surprised " This cannot be a coincidence"

The Earth Guardian nodded, Cyril's concerns were justifiable but there were more pressing matters currently " Summon Hunter, our allies are a priority" he turned towards the wounded mole " Tell us what happened"

The mole covered his wounded arm with his hand " The thing is I don't know, it was day like any other, we were mining for metals and then suddenly we hit a rock that crumbled and revealed these bugs. There was a whole colony of them, those things purged from that hole and attacked our miners instantly. We lost some good people that day but we were able to kill most of them" he rubbed his hurt arm " You have no idea how it hurts, one bug isn't dangerous but damn it sure knows how to cause pain. "

Flare stared at the jar with a frown " It cannot be a bug, they don't look like that, I would know"

The mole looked at the dragon who spoke and it was the first time he really concentrated on his features. With an dumbfounded frown he examined the odd dragon, just to look at the Guardians later, their expressions spoke volumes. With that he once again turned towards the dragon " I see that you had your share of surprise as well"

" It's not a bug, bugs slither, are slow and unpleasant to the touch" Flare kept explaining

" There are many types of bugs kid"

The red dragon frowned while constantly observing the creature inside the jar, the moles words didn't convince him " It's not a bug…" he muttered

Spyro listened intently to the moles story, never seen before creature appearing from nowhere? It only meant one thing but it won't hurt to make sure " Was there anything else? Did you hear something? Or maybe noticed that something is out of place?"

The mole focused on the purple dragon " Judging from your questions I see that something similar happened already" he eyed the odd looking red dragon for a while before turning towards Spyro once more " No I didn't, nor did I hear anybody speaking of something else than the bugs, but something tells me that whatever happened to you guys is happening right now in Munitions Forge"

Spyro sighed, to think he was so naïve to believe that everything will turn out for the better " Yeah, I just wish I could not agree with you"

The caravan master frowned absorbing the new information and the tone of voice of the purple drake before he looked around the room " So is anybody going to fill me in?"

The two Guardians looked and stared at each other for a while as if they were telepathically communicating, a nod from Cyril was a clear signal that they've reached an agreement.

With that Terrador turned to the mole " I won't get into details because we don't quite understand them ourselves, suffice to say is that whatever is happening In Munitions Forge is connected somehow with the mending of the world"

The mole looked alarmed " Malefor's somewhat involved?"

" No" Cyril with his cold tone left no room for doubt " The Dark Master has nothing to do with it"

The rodent sighed relieved " That's good news, let that bastard rot in hell" he eyed the Guardians " It doesn't seem that this makes you happy in any way, those unexplained things we are facing right now aren't much dangerous, correct?"

Terrador shook his head " Unfortunately they are, our young friends here encountered a very powerful golem which appeared out of nowhere"

The Ice Guardian narrowed his eyes on his partner " We don't know that Terrador, as you told me let's not jump to conclusion before we won't see the whole picture here. Perhaps it was just a bad luck when and where the portal appeared"

The mole rearranged his googles " Portals…dangerous things appearing, why nobody ever talked about this?"

" Because nobody knows" Cyril continued " Of course people feel that something is going on they are not stupid, but for now we try to keep them in the dark, no need to let them live in fear so soon after one threat was ended"

The caravan master considered his words, after a while he nodded " Then it is a good thing that we've turned to you when we did, as a messenger I ask you that if you would be able to help us out with our problem? Since you know how to handle this discretely"

Both Guardians threw the purple dragon meaningful looks

Spyro understood the hint and nodded, when people are in danger there was no way he will hesitate " Of course"

" That's right" Sparx exclaimed throwing his thumb up " A life threatening job, we can't miss that!"

The mole smiled " Your dedication was noted" he looked the fiery dragon over " Maybe what is happening in Munitions Forge isn't that bad after all" he waved his hand " Come on Spyro, no time to waste"

" Cynder is coming with us" the purple dragon announced firmly

The caravan master winced and looked the dragoness over " You sure this is a good idea? I mean for me it's ok I'm just driving a caravan but Cynder's last visit in Munitions Forge was… well let's just say that she overstayed her welcome"

Cynder impulsively looked at the Earth Guardian, he was looking at her without any emotions in his eyes, nevertheless it still forced the dragoness to drop her head in shame. It was in Munitions Forge where Cynder while she was corrupted imprisoned Terrador to draw his strength in order to release her Master from his prison. Not to mention that she also terrorized the locals living there, either by killing or enslaving them, forcing them to mine the metals and forge weapons for her numerous army.

Spyro nodded " I'm sure, I need all the people I can _trust_" he looked at his friend with a corner of his eye, checking if she would catch the emphasis on the word _trust_

She did, Cynder looked at him, her eyes were shimmering with emotion and gratitude. The way she thanked him however made his hurt jump to his throat, he just could stare at that loving smile for all eternity.

" Understood" the mole's voice forced him out of his trance " After everything that you made for us there is no way someone will try to change your decision, especially not someone like me. So… we are ready to go?"

" Take Flare with you" Terrador added

" Him?" Sparx blurt out surprised

" Me?" Flare did the same

" Flare you are the only one who made his way through a portal" The Earth Guardian looked at his icy partner, Cyril remained unmoved pretending to not understand what that look meant " You might share some valuable insight into the matter and help our friends here"

The dragonfly shook his head resigned " I won't cross my fingers" he muttered under his breath

Spyro nodded, he would like to have their new companion around and maybe try to change his mind about the purple dragons but he just couldn't order him to follow them, not after everything he had told them " Only if Flare wants to" he replied diplomatically

" Yeah!" the red dragon exclaimed excited, even if the dragons here looked strange he already got accustomed with them, they are dragons after all. To see the home of the strange rat- like creatures, that was way more interesting.

The mole rubbed his hands " It's settled then. Home here we come!"

" The inexorable passing hours of labor of the two invigorating cohorts infix our antecedence"

The cheerful and quick voice could belong to only one Guardian " Volteer!" the mole exclaimed happily when the amber dragon emerged from the Guardian's Quarters " Mole- Yair sends his greetings, and a gift!" he pointed with his open paw at the jar with the odd creature inside

Volteer approached the glassy container, the moment his snout was close enough the creature inside began bouncing off the jar trying to reach the reptile. It hissed and clapped its pincers viciously. The Electric Guardian was unmoved by its hostility.

" Captivating!" he exclaimed excited

Cyril rolled his eyes " What isn't?"

" The conjointment of realms undeniably caused the materialization of such varmint." The amber dragon examined the creature more closely " I believe it's an impoverished specimen, however the implausible events may cause such a deformity. The magnitude of its pincers seems to be much oversized for its stature, the luminosity of its husk makes me believe that this insect is budding in the ways of life"

Spyro looked alarmed " Wait, you think that those things can get bigger?"

Volteer picked up the jar, his eyes never left the aggressive creature " This is merely my speculation, however its essential to comprehend divers constituents of a beings foundation" he smiled at the mole " Thank you for the gift" after receiving a happy nod from the mole he disappeared into the Guardian's Quarters

Cyril grinned " That'll keep him busy for a while"

The caravan master motioned for the doors " Come on team! It's time to go!" he looked at the fiery dragon and instantly worry replaced his glee " Just don't burn my caravan with those wings"

" Oh these" Flare wriggled his wings " They are harmless. Look" he slapped the mole with his burning wing forcing a terrified squeal from the rodent " See?" the dragon remained oblivious to his reaction

" N…ice" the mole muttered while rubbing his back, as if checking if it's still there " J…just don't do that again"

The whole situation made the rest of the group laugh.

On their way out they've encountered Hunter entering the City Hall, the group exchanged polite nods with the cheetah before they departed. The feline dressed in his dirty working clothes made his way towards the Guardians

Hunter bowed " It's always a honor to speak with you Guardians"

" Finally someone who shows some respect!" Cyril blurt out happily

Terrador only shook his head in disapproval before he focused on the cat " No need for formalities Hunter, you are among friends"

The cheetah nodded " How can I be of help?"

" There was a sighting of a group of orcs and apes somewhere in the north near Tall Plains, we need someone to track them down and check what they are up to"

Hunter bowed once more " It will be done"

" If you need assistance just ask"

" No need, I work and travel faster alone. Is there anything else?"

Terrador smiled " Nothing, gear up and best of luck for you out there Hunter"

The feline bowed again before he left the building

Cyril sighed as soon as the door had closed " You don't see soldiers like him often, so loyal and without the need to know too much. Makes you think how could his tribe let someone like him go"

The Earth Guardian stared thoughtfully in the same direction his partner was " Good thing he is with us, something tells me that we might need every soldier we can get…"


	27. Chapter 9 Book II

Chapter 9

The sun beautifully illuminated the landscape of the Dragon Realms, sun perched high above in the sky served the biotic community with all its glory, giving them the much needed light and warmth and allowing them to grow and live with their own lives. The sun's partner in this truly arduous task- wind, exhaled its cooling breaths, chilling the mentioned sun and its rays while also filling the lungs and feathers of those creatures who required its powerful and cooling effects.

The two partners served the world as best they could, even if the task given to them was arduous, it was their task, their sole purpose granted to them by the unexplained forces governing the Realms and they fulfilled it with great care. The biotic community thanked them in its own way, by thriving in the brilliancy of the two companions.

Among the creatures who basked in the glory of the two life giving forces was a sole cheetah. The feline kept running through the countryside at an extreme speed, this was his purpose, speed was his force, he was a Hunter after all. Wind helped the cat as best as it could, breathing behind him, cooling his working muscles and lungs.

The dark reddish cape fluttered in the wind as the cheetah made his way through the greenish landscape, his extended yellow tail covered in black ringlets bounced up and down as if dancing to a strange music with the cape. The sun rays kept following the feline, illuminating him and the path ahead just like he was the star of the day, just like the sun tried to make sure that whoever wishes to follow the feline's journey won't miss a thing.

The cheetah finally came to an abrupt stop, he ran his claws on the greenish cover of the nearby bush before crouching. The arrows in his quiver rattled as in anticipation, as if the wooden projectiles couldn't wait to fulfill their purpose. The feline rearranged his bow on his shoulder so it wouldn't hinder his movements after the run. He reached for the ground and ran his claw along the dirt, his blue feline eyes read every detail that nobody else could notice, just like the ground would be some kind of a map, and the cat's blue eyes were the only means to translate it.

He picked up a patch of dirt and rubbed it between his fingers, the dirt kept falling back onto the ground just like some sort of a black rain. The feline placed the dirt covered paw on his bend knee and stared at the ground, the invisible map glistening in his blue eyes.

" We are catching up to our prey" Hunter huffed while rubbing the yin-yang symbol on his brown coat with his thumb. He raised and took a deep breath and closed his eyes" The Dragon City is fascinating but truthfully I've missed the boundless world outside" he opened his longing blue eyes " No words can describe how it feels to be free"

A sound reached him, his sensitive ears perked up at the noise coming from above, he looked up to see a falcon circling high in the air, calling out to whoever understood its language and was listening. Hunter smiled and extended his right arm to the side while bending it in the elbow and whistled. The bird called once again and with one final turn it descend quickly just to land on the cheetah's arm, the red band on the feline's arm served as an efficient protection against the bird's talons.

The falcon cried once more as it settled on the feline's arm, the bird flapped its wings a couple of times before it finally pressed them against its body. The falcons beak moved from side to side, its sharp yellow eyes scanned the surroundings intently.

Hunter smiled " The hunt wouldn't be as successful as it is now without you my friend"

The falcon cried out, for any other person it would be just a simple cry of a bird without any meaning. For the cheetah however it was a language, words that were meant only for him, a language only he could understand.

The cheetah's ears flattened against his head as he offered the bird a grateful smile. He reached down towards his waist, the two blue gems inserted into the sockets on his belt shimmered brightly under the sunlight. His paw patted at the side of his belt for a second before he unstrapped a small brown pouch with a yellow string hanging from it.

The feline reached into it and withdrew a bunch of seeds of a herb that only members of his former tribe know what their main purpose is. He opened his palm near the bird's beak, the falcon's yellow eyes shimmered for a brief moment before it started to poke at his hand fervently.

Hunter kept observing the bird as it kept eating from his paw " Feed well my friend, there is a long chase ahead of us"

The bird responded only by flapping its powerful wings. It wasn't long before the nourishment was gone. The falcon raised its head and cried out spreading its wings wide.

The cheetahs ears stood up at the sight " Be my guide and eyes in the incoming hours" he whispered pleadingly

The bird cried out once more, its yellow eyes seemed to be sharper than before.

" Then raise and let the wind be your servant!" Hunter jerked his arm upwards. The falcon leapt from his arm and raised in the air, flapping its wings and emitting an intimidating cry

The feline observed the raising bird " How lost we would be without your guidance friend" he rearranged the bow on his shoulder once again " Let the hunt continue" he darted onwards

It has been some days since the Guardians sent him on this chase, he knew that he was gaining on his prey, the Dark Army wasn't moving quickly, well at least not for him. As every cheetah and especially the cheetahs that carried the symbol of a feather Hunter was a talented scout and a tracker. He knew the surrounding lands like the back of his paw, not to mention that as a natural scout he overcame every obstacle the world threw at him with ease, speed and dexterity were the archers best friends after all.

The same thing couldn't be said about the group he pursued, the Dark Army consisted mostly of some bulky soldiers, however the tracks also showed that not every member was encumbered. This led only to one conclusion, the heavier equipped members were guards, and the light weighted members moved at their pace so they could be easily defended if it came to battle. It was a good sign, whatever or whoever the Army is trying to protect is important, and as every important evil creature or some other thing it would be best if it didn't reach its destination.

Hunter darted through the land, the avian guide flew ahead of him every now and then crying out as if giving signals that only the cheetah was able to understand. Another day has passed and he kept running, he was far in the north now, it is only a matter of time before the landscape takes a drastic change and the thick tangling land of the Tall Plains will come into view.

Hunter kept running but this time he constantly stared at the ground. After a while he abruptly stopped and once again crouched to examine the dirt under his legs. He narrowed his blue eyes on the earth, there was something different about the tracks now. He rose up and started to run backwards before he noticed another characteristic spot on the ground, with a slide he stopped near the mark and crouched to examine it.

His suspicion was well placed, this track differed from the one he examined earlier, it was far more smaller. Hunter rose up and once more began retracing his steps, at first everything seemed fine, whenever he found a track it looked like the small one from earlier. A less skilled hunter would take that as a simple weakness, a hallucination presented by a tired mind.

Not him, Hunter kept retracing his steps, he had to somehow confirm his suspicion. He kept running with his feline eyes focused on the ground, but at first besides his own tracks and the ones he saw earlier there wasn't any other he could make out, that didn't discourage him. Finally he skidded to a halt, crouching he examined the ground closely, this mark he was actually looking at was bigger than the rest, just like the one he spotted earlier, the one that stood out from the rest.

He rose and looked around, the smaller tracks led through the more greenish part of the land, trees and bushes while the bigger ones took a turn towards the more mountainous landscape. This meant only one thing.

" Our prey got separated" Hunter muttered while taking a deep breath

Something was not right, he saw the same big mark on the ground not so far away to the north, this turn towards the mountainous land served only to confuse him and buy his prey some time. He ran forward following the smaller tracks as before until he returned to the spot that caught his attention earlier. Here the bigger tracks overlapped with the smaller ones.

He made his way slowly forward, examining the ground below him closely. He frowned when he spotted that now the bigger tracks led north, he retraced his steps and took a turn, here now the smaller ones seemed to head in that direction. He returned to the intersection and crouched, he began to examine the mark on the ground closely. Firstly he saw nothing, just a bigger trace since the group that firstly separated met here.

" _Met here" _he mused. His scout's instinct kicked in, he touched the ground with his claw and began to trace the mark with it. He could make out some boot marks, some were heavier than the rest leaving a deeper mark on the ground. The cheetah rose and examined the track again from this distance, it seemed big, a little smaller than the one to the north.

He made his way there until he spotted the big mark, crouching he traced it with his claw. Frowning the cheetah rose up and returned to the spot where the smaller tracks led just to repeat the process.

" Clever" Hunter exhaled a breath.

Firstly it was a simple partition, big and smaller tracks meaning a bigger and a smaller group from which one was a simple distraction. Now it has changed, the tracks were still split into a big and small one but they were exactly the same like the earlier ones. Meaning that there was an exchanged of soldiers between the groups, in such a way that they could still retain almost the same sizes of the tracks.

" Our enemy is intelligent, they've exchanged soldiers, now it's difficult to tell which one of the groups is a distraction and which isn't, or perhaps both are important. One thing is certain, they know how to lose their pursuers"

Hunter looked from side to side, thinking which tracks to follow, making his mind he decided to abandon the route he used so far and followed the smaller tracks. He kept running for a while, a sound of a flowing river in the distance reached his sensitive ears, it was there where the tracks led so far.

Soon he reached the reason behind all this noise, it was a flowing water parting two sides of the land. It was a shallow river, small stones jutted from the ground and even smaller fish maneuvered through them and made their way downstream. If one would decide to follow the fishes it wouldn't be a problem, the shallow and clear water was barely ankle deep.

The scout took a sip from the river before crossing it, it was then when his ears perked up once more at the sound of the crying falcon. Something that seemed like the cries of a simple bird were so much more for the cheetah, he listened intently as if he would paying attention to an interesting speech. After a while the feline nodded and pulled on his hood.

" Thank you friend for the warning" Hunter whispered before equipping his bow " Our enemy has prepared an ambush, the group that we followed went downstream easily covering the their tracks while the rest was left ahead" he pointed forward " There amongst the big rocks and tall trees, the Army has set up an ambush, we could avoid them easily but we better get rid of them before some unlucky traveler will run into them. Evil is unwelcome here" he rearranged his cape and delicately rubbed the symbol that pinned it to his coat before bending on his paws and darting to the side.

He circled the ambush spot carefully and silently, the scout was already pressing an arrow to his bow, the first rule in the wilderness- always be prepared. Thanks to their heritage every cheetah had a talent for sneaking, their cat- like moves allowed them to move without even making the tiniest of sounds, not to mention that such an experienced scout as him knew also how to stay hidden even in broad daylight.

Eventually he reached a small slope but instead of climbing it and reaching its outcropping to get a better look on the valley he pressed himself against the farthest tree on the slope. Not the best viewing point but the shadow created by the tree's broad crown effectively shrouded his features thanks to the darkish cape he was wearing.

With his back pressed to the tree Hunter leaned slightly to see past the trunk, being blended into the surroundings like that allowed him to scan the surroundings with his feline eyes. He spotted an ape hidden behind a rock, he was rolling the axe in his hands impatiently and somewhat bored. He kept surveying the land, a orc was pressed to a tree and two small grublins hid in the nearby bush.

He couldn't spot anyone else but that didn't mean that the group wasn't larger, he has to be prepared for anything. However the attitude the soldiers presented gave him a clear image that they hadn't set up this ambush for him specifically, these soldiers were left here just in case and to stall any pursuer that might be after them. The cheetah was aware that it will cause his main prey distance itself from him, but he didn't have any other choice, Dark Army isn't allowed so deep into the Alliance territory.

The feline took a breath, the battle was about to commence , he strung his bow and left his cover, however the side of his body was still pressed against the trunk.

" Fortune favor us" Hunter whispered pleadingly and set the arrow loose

He immediately took cover behind the trunk while his eyes watched for the outcome of his shot. The arrow flew in a perfect straight line just like the wind didn't exist for it at all. The target was unaware of its approach, the ape was still playing with his weapon impatiently. The soldiers' anxiety was ended by an arrow which pierced his throat, it impaled itself in the spot where there was a slight gap between the helmet and rest of the armor.

The orc managed to let out only a stifled gurgle as blood started to flow from the mortal wound, he brought his gauntleted hand to his throat as if trying to prevent any more blood loss, yet with no luck. The soldier fell on his knees dropping the axe on the ground so he could extend his now free hand towards his oblivious companions as if trying to warn them or beg them for help. Nobody discovered the soldier's intention since moments later his lifeless body hit the ground, a pool of blood appeared below the corpse.

Hunter slowly pulled out another arrow, his eyes never left the group ahead of him. He pressed the projectile to his bow, preparing to string his weapon in case an alarm would be raised and he will have to defend himself, nothing like that happened, the rest of the soldiers seemed to be still unaware of his presence.

He crouched, there was no way he could now eliminate another member of the ambush party without the rest noticing him, most likely it's only a matter of time before they discover the body, his element of surprise requires haste. The scout slowly made his way to the other side of the slope, there was no cover here that would serve as a good survey point, the first tree that would be able to shroud his features was just next to the slope on the ground.

He made his way to the edge, and looked down, no sign of the enemy as far as he could tell. The feline placed a hand on the slope and jumped down, his stealth abilities made the fall perfectly silent. From this spot he had a better look on the surroundings, he began to look around, the moment he looked behind him his eyes shot wide open.

An orc just finished examining a small opening in the slope and turned around, the moment the soldier took a glimpse of the cheetah he raised his arm in the air preparing to sound an alarm. However a whizz interrupted him, the orc only let out a groan since an arrow impaled itself on his chest. The soldier impulsively looked down just to notice an arrow jutting from his chest, with shocked filled eyes he looked ahead just to see a cheetah ahead of him.

Hunter didn't waste any time, as soon as he released the arrow he unstrapped a dagger from his thigh and attacked the orc. The feline leapt at the soldier while covering the orc's mouth with one of his hand, his weight and speed brought the soldier down. Hunter being on top of him pushed the arrow deeper into the soldier's chest while at the same time plunging the dagger into his opponent's throat.

There were only some muffled groans and gurgles as both sharp objects invaded the orc's body, with a twist of the dagger the cheetah silenced his enemy forever. The moment his opponent stopped thrashing underneath him Hunter began to listen intently. He remained in that position for a while, but his perked up ears didn't catch any approaching noise, Fortune was favoring him after all.

He withdrew the blade and his hand from the corpse and stood up. The dagger was covered with a red liquid, his other hand wasn't in better shape, his palm was completely covered in blood since the soldier was gurgling out the crimson liquid as he was taking him down. This is a clear sign that orcs even if they are artificial creations made from earth itself were just another specie with blood, bones and flesh and right to live. Unfortunately the hostility between the cheetahs and grublins forces both sides to shorten the life of the other, preferably by severing the line with one's own hands.

Hunter left the corpse and returned to pick up his bow that he dropped when he attacked, with everything back in its rightful place the feline hid near the tree he planned to use earlier. Once again he leaned to scan the surroundings , from this position he had to really look hard to properly survey the area.

The two grublins in the bushes couldn't be seen from here, however he could clearly see the tree where the orc was hidden but now there was no sign of the soldier anywhere. Then something struck him, he examined the body and compared its armor with the one on the orc from his memory, it was a match. Luck didn't abandon him it seems, the soldier he eliminated had to be the orc from behind the tree, one less bad guy to worry about.

The corpse of the ape was still in the same spot, not yet discovered. From here he could spot two more soldiers just slightly ahead of the rock behind which the body of the fallen ape was sprawled. The two soldiers hidden farther amongst the trees were so close to each other that there was no chance to take out one of them without the second noticing that.

Suddenly a falcon's cry was heard, Hunter's ears perked up instantly very sensitive to the familiar sound. The scout looked up, there was an another cry as the bird began circling in the air slightly to the west from his position. The cheetah focused in the ground and the moment he did that he instinctively bend down on his legs trying to shroud his form as best as he could while using the limited cover he had at his disposal.

There was an orc leader outfitted in a medium sized spiked armor and a huge axe hung on his back, he was heading through the slightly mountainous terrain towards the group of concealed soldiers. The leader wasn't alone, he was accompanied by two ape archers who were carrying four dead rabbits, looks like it was a fruitful hunt. It seemed like his luck was just about to run out, there was no chance that the approaching hunters wouldn't notice the dead body by the rock, the stealth mission was about to turn into a full scaled battle and there is no way he can prevent that from happening.

On the ground he is vulnerable, if he has to blow his cover he has to do it from a good spot. Hunter flung his bow around his shoulder and thrust his claws into the trunk of the tree, he then slowly but steadily began to climb it. He kept going up until he reached the spot where the leafs were dense and the branches allowed a good foothold. From here he can easily leap at the slight slope just next to him, an exit point is always handy.

The scout prepared his bow, while pulling out the arrow he looked for the perfect opportunity where he can do the most damage before he will be discovered. The leader would be the best choice, but seeing his armor it was very likely that the arrow would glance off his spiked armor without causing any harm, besides he could barely spot any opening, all things considered it was not worth the risk.

The two archers were easy pickings, lightly armored it would be just a matter of a well-placed shot and they would collapse on the spot however seeing as the surroundings didn't favor archers very much Hunter decided to leave them alone. The trees and rocks will effectively serve as cover when the battle will start, no need to waste his element of surprise on those two.

With no other option left he aimed at one of the soldiers who hid amongst the trees, just when the feline was about to set the arrow loose his blue eyes caught something else. One of the grublins left the protection of his bush, the creature stood in plain open looking around. They had to figure out that something is wrong, the silence ironically was so loud. The creature grumbled something loudly to his companion, the grublins were just about to figure out what is happening.

Without wasting any more Hunter strung his bow and aimed at the little creature, even if he was a small soldier the grublin was still a worthy opponent and in this terrain where he could easily conceal himself even more so. The arrow was sent flying, the moment it was set loose Hunter prepared another projectile while at the same time an alarm was raised as soon as the grublin hit the ground with an arrow jutting from his chest.

The feline made a sharp turn and released an arrow towards one of the archers, just when the projectile was about to pierce the surprised soldier an armored spiked gauntlet rose in its way deflecting the arrow as a result.

The same gauntlet pointed at the tree crown " KILL HIM!" the orc leader roared

The surprise attack and the terrifying roar of their leader startled both archers, however they both knew that they can't hesitate or the consequences would be drastic. With shaking hands both soldiers fired at the crown.

Even if their aim was poor Hunter experience told him that he would avoid the flying arrows, he compelled. The scout hastily flung his weapon on his shoulder and leapt from the tree, as he jumped he could hear the arrows Impaling in the wooden branches behind him. With a roll Hunter gracefully landed on the slope and already prepared his weapon.

The orc leader roared furiously and began to flail his hands ordering everyone to push forward " ATTACK! KILL THE CAT!" he roared once more

Hunter ran to the far end of the slope, not the outcropping but the other side, he ran with his arrowed already strung. Soon he found out that it was wise to listen to his instinct, the moment he jumped from the slope an ape was about to behead him using his edged sword. The soldier never had the chance to finish his swing since an arrow pierced his skull momentarily.

As soon as the body dropped to the ground the cheetah ducked under another swing of some other soldier while still darting forward not even taking a moment to stop and fight back. He arrived in the plain open the path seemed like a bridge spanning two sides of the river. Arrows were sent flying his way immediately, as he rushed through the path Hunter could hear the projectiles whizzing behind him, with a corner of his eye he could see the orc leader snorting as he eyed him carefully.

The cheetah disappeared into the trees ahead, never stopping he made a sharp turn to the left, only the glimpses of the fluttering cape could be seen flashing among the trees. Hunter using his natural predatory speed made his way through the thicket, he prepared another arrow and strung his bow while aiming it to his left side. He observed the flashing images behind the trees patiently, narrowing his blue eyes Hunter set the arrow loose the moment the image of the orc leader appeared before him.

The orc snorted and jerked his body sharply, the arrow flew just inches from his nose, he was unaffected by the near death experience, the orc growled as he observed the flashing cape amongst the trees. Even the sudden stifled grunt and soon after something heavy falling to the ground behind him didn't move the orc. However after a while the leader seeing the terrified reaction of one of his archers took a quick glimpse behind his shoulder, the second archer laid dead on the ground with the feathers of an arrow protruding from his left eye. With a snort the orc returned to observing the cat.

Hunter blinked, it didn't go exactly as he planned, it should have been the orc leader laying on the ground right now, not the common soldier. At least now he has more insight on his enemy, obviously they are now one person less but it also shows that their leader isn't someone who can be underestimated.

Before he could plan another strike he was attacked, out of nowhere a grublin jumped at him, the creature pointed its sword at a straight angle ready to pierce the cheetah's chest. Thanks to his reflexes Hunter instantly spun around while still running ahead, the roulette he made allowed him to avoid the deadly strike. As he saw the flying creature failing at his attempt to kill him, the grublin still managed to harm him, it had to be a shock for the soldier that someone managed to avoid such an surprise attack so he swung his sword in a wide arc not really thinking what he was doing. It worked, the sword sliced at the cheetahs arm leaving a bloody cut, the strike forced a painful growl from the feline's throat.

Hunter impulsively covered his wounded arm, his hand instantly got soaked with red thick blood. The grublin yelled and attacked once more, staying in one position would be dangerous so Hunter instead of fighting decided to run, he was faster than the small creature, it was only a matter of minutes before he left the soldier far behind him. Even if he wanted to fight back it would prove really difficult in this environment, to many places to hide, there was always a probability that the grublin wasn't smart enough to use the surroundings to his advantage, but he still didn't want to risk it.

As he ran through the trees he threw a quick glance at the open path, his eyes widened when he noticed that the leader and the accompanying archer were gone. He didn't really have the time to concentrate on that now since suddenly he felt that someone tackled him. The sudden weight pushed the cheetah out of the trees and into the plain open, to make things worse he landed on his chest with his opponent laying on his back.

Hunter forcefully jerked his body upwards trying to push off his opponent before he could pin him down. The soldier on top of him fought to stay on his winning position while also trying to take control of the cheetah's arms. The struggle continued for a while but eventually Hunter managed to free one of his arms, without hesitation he reached behind him and plunged his claws into his opponent's neck. The soldier groaned painfully grabbing the feline's arm and yanking it sharply, the claws dragged bits of flesh along with streams of blood with them as they've been removed.

The cheetah waited for such an opportunity, with the soldier distracted he jerked his body once more. The move was enough to make the soldier loose his balance, he felt his enemy involuntary leaning forwards. Hunter threw his head backwards, he could feel blood drenching the back of his hood as it made impact with most likely the nose of his opponent. One last sharp jerk was enough to push the soldier off of him.

He turned around preparing to get up but unfortunately a punch to his face forced him to drop on his back. The ape soldier with a broken nose instantly jumped on the scout and served him another painful blow. Hunter's head jerked to the side after the strike, as soon as his head returned to its natural position he saw the ape dropping his arms down, a dagger was tightly clenched in both of his fists. The feline's eyes widened, he instinctively grabbed the blade of the dagger at the place where his hands met with his opponent's.

Both fighters were letting grunts and groans of struggle as they fought to overpower one another. Being on top the ape had more strength to push the dagger down using the weight of all his body, however even from his losing position Hunter didn't give up. As the blade was approaching his chest he had a sudden afflux of energy that allowed him to push the dagger away. He knew he can't keep fighting like that for long, sooner or later the ape will overpower him.

Hunter let the dagger get closer while still maintaining a firm grip on the blade so it wouldn't pierce his chest, the blood dripping from the ape's nose splattered on his face. The ape clenched his teeth and started to growl as the illusion of victory clouded his judgment, as soon as the ape was close enough Hunter sharply swung his elbow striking the ape in the temple. The blow in that particular vulnerable spot left the ape slightly dizzy, the cheetah could feel the pressure on the dagger quenching down from the soldiers' side, he repeated the strike once again, then again and again.

The ape finally had enough, he let go of the dagger, the scout didn't waste any second and kicked the soldier off of him. Hunter quickly got up but before he could strike with the blade he received a powerful kick in his arm, the unexpected attack forced him to drop the dagger. To his surprise the ape was once again charging, the fall on the ground must have woken him up.

Before Hunter could react he received a painful hook in his chin, as his head tilted to the side he felt two hands firmly grabbing onto his shoulders. An armored knee was heading just right into his abdomen, with his reflexes kicking in Hunter deflected the incoming blow and soon after headbutted the ape, hitting once again his already broken nose.

The soldier let him go as he stumbled backwards while groaning in pain and covering his bloody nose. With a shake of his head he snapped from his befuddlement, with a furious snarl he uncovered his bloody mouth and charged the cheetah once more. The soldier swung his arm but Hunter managed to duck under it, after that a boot was heading his way right in the guts, he avoided that strike too. However he was defenseless against another hook to his chin. Hunter swayed on his legs slightly after the blow and before he knew it the hands of the angry ape gripped his shoulders tightly once again, locking both fighters in another embrace.

As they fought like that, exchanging kicks, blows and the like Hunter noticed the ape smirking for a brief while, at first he didn't understand what it meant, it was not like the ape was winning the fight after all. Soon after that sighting a falcon's call could be heard, Hunter learned to understand the meaning behind such calls since he was a child. Judging from the distance and intensity of the cry, the scout knew that the imminent danger is coming from behind him.

Another cry followed by a quick descent of the falcon, the bird began harassing the ape Hunter was fighting with. The falcon hit the ape's head with his wings and plucked at his broken nose with its beak. With an irritated growl the ape let go his opponent and began to fling his arms chaotically to just get rid himself of the annoying bird. Hunter didn't waste any time, he grabbed the ape and with a sharp turn he spun around with him, now Hunter was in the position of the ape.

He made the turn just in time since as soon as they stopped spinning a huge axe impaled itself into the ape's back. The soldier spit out blood after the impact which covered Hunter's face, besides the cry of the startled bird the scout could also hear the sounds of armor breaking and bones snapping. The ape was still holding onto the cheetah's shoulder as he gurgled an incomprehensible message before life finally ebbed away from its shelter and the ape's falling body stopped on Hunter's chest.

The corpse slid down the cheetah's chest for a while before he made a step back, letting it finally hit the ground. Hunter stared at the huge axe stuck into the ape's back for brief second not really believing what has happened. After a short while he raised his eyes and spotted the orc leader and his archer companion next to him, the leader seemed unarmed, no wonder since his primary weapon was lodged into his own soldier's back after he flung it at the cat.

With instinct kicking in Hunter readied his bow and sent an arrow flying, after the first projectile was released he fired another one, then another and another. The orc leader frowned, completely unmoved by the startled gasp of his cowardly companion, the arrows were approaching him at high speed, even his armor wasn't able to withstand such force. The ape archer was overwhelmed with fear, as a beginning mercenary he couldn't really tell thanks to his shock that the arrows weren't heading his way, he prepared to run just to avoid being shot.

The orc leader snorted and grabbed onto the ape's arm and pulled him in front of him, the archer managed only to emit a stifled scream since soon an arrow pierced his chest. When the next one hit, the ape didn't have the strength anymore to even try to scream, arrow after arrowe got stuck in his chest and a stifled gurgle was all the ape could utter after each received shot.

Hunter wasn't really surprised to see something like this, the grublins and especially the orcs are known for being relentless. He didn't even try firing more arrows since he knew that he could only maul the body of the poor ape even further, and it was unnecessary. The cheetah turned around and darted into the forest, he is an archer not a fighter, he would rather attack the ape from a safe distance.

As he ran towards the rocks to hide himself he noticed the small grublin leaving the thicket finally catching up to him. Hunter could hear the orc leader barking out orders to the soldier to pursue him, even from here he could hear the grublin's tired panting. The cheetah quickly unstrapped his red cape while still being on the move, after some minutes he turned towards a nearby tree and flung the cape on its branches in such a way that a part of the material protruded from the safety of its trunk.

He himself hid behind the nearby rock so he could clearly see the back of the tree where his cape hung and strung his bow. He had to wait for a while but eventually he heard the quick and shallow breathing of the grublin, some seconds later all the sound died down. His plan was working the grublin was sneaking towards the cape, thinking that he is hiding behind the tree and was clumsy enough to give away his position.

Hunter held his breath and waited, moments later there was a triumphant cry as the grublin jumped from behind the cover and stabbed with his sword. The soldiers triumphant cry ended abruptly when he noticed that he stabbed thin air, he didn't really get the chance to change his shocked expression since the last thing he saw was the sharp tip of an arrow heading his way.

The grublin fell backwards on the ground with an arrow sticking out from between his eyes. Hunter ran his finger delicately against the surface of his yin-yang symbol before he pinned the cape to his coat.

" GO GET HIM BOY!" a shout echoed throughout the mountainous terrain.

Hunter's ears instantly perked up, that was definitely the shout of the orc leader. The falcon circling above cried once more, the cheetah looked up as is absorbing the information before his eyes returned to the ground.

" Death Hound" he muttered under his breath

From where the beast came from he had no idea, but that was unimportant right now, that creature is made to fight dragons and that means that his chances against it are very slim in a duel. He eyed the tree near him from top to bottom, he considered climbing it and shoot the creature from there, but moments later his ears flattened around his skull when he realized that it would most likely be a suicide, the hound isn't that stupid to get killed like that and with the orc somewhere out there it would be only a matter of time before he would be thrown down from the tree straight into the beast's jagged maw.

Another falcon's call reached his sensitive ears, Hunter nodded " Thank you friend"

There was another call

" We cannot fight a beast like this in a fair duel, the odds aren't in our favor" he looked up with grateful eyes " There is a waterfall nearby, with luck we might outsmart our enemy"

A shrilling howl was carried by the wind

The cheetah looked in the direction from which it came " There is no time to waste" with that he scurried south.

Hunter ran as fast as his legs could carry him, every now and then he threw a quick glance to the sky to make sure he was heading in the right direction. He ran like that for a while, with the passing time came the increasing sounds of barking, snoring and howling, from these noises he could tell that the creature was gaining on him.

Finally the sound of a water falling was swooshing in the distance. Moments later Hunter reached his destination, there was quite an outcropping, a big part of the stony ground was set directly near where the waterfall was, at both sides of the block were two strong currents which met behind the ground to create the waterfall. Parts of the block clearly fell off some time ago, that's why there was no possibility to reach it just by walking since between the part of terrain he was standing on right now and the stony block was a crack filled with sharp stony spikes separating the terrain. From the crack protruded some parts of the block that managed to survive the separation, those remaining parts were weak, they were ready to crumble in any moment when too much weight would be pressed on them, however they were also the only way to reach the slab of terrain ahead.

Without much choice Hunter sped up and jumped, firstly he landed on the protruding remains, the moment he placed his feet he could feel the remains shaking as if they were screaming that they are at their breaking point. From here the cheetah leaped further to reach the block of stone, however when he lifted himself from the ground something unexpected happened.

He received a powerful blow in his back that left scratches and threw him right onto that platform. As he slid on his belly for a while he could hear the parts of the floor cracking, it was obvious that they won't withstand another pressure like that. He made a mental note about that then looked behind his shoulder, his eyes widened when he spotted a Death Hound standing there, the beast managed to catch up to him.

With a shrilling roar the hound jumped onto the platform, Hunter quickly pulled himself up to face his enemy. While still observing the hound he slowly made some steps backwards so he was standing near the edge of the outcropping. However the beast didn't leap at him as he planned instead it ran in his direction and swung its paw.

Hunter avoided being hit by the strike by mere inches, however the dodge made him loose his footing, he might have avoided the strike but now he was laying on the ground on his chest while the upper part of his body hung from the outcropping.. As his hand hit the rough surface he felt something protruding from the rocks, he blindly reached for it, grabbing the object he pulled it out, it was quite a big and thick branch.

A snarl forced Hunter's instinct to kick in, he dragged the branch and with a fast move turned on the ground so he could land on his back, as he did that he made a swing with the heavy branch. The hound that tried to finish what it started got hit in the snout, with an angry growl it backed away some steps. Hunter pulled himself up while the creature shook his head to shake off the dizziness, its yellow eyes focused on the feline.

He stared back at the creature with the branch tightly clenched in his hands, the armor embed into the creature's back shimmered under the sunlight for a brief moment as it bent on its paws adopting an offensive position. Hunter didn't move an inch, that was a mutated dog after all, by challenging it with cold stare he wanted to show it that who is a more terrifying fighter here.

However momentarily his demonstration of strength was proved to be worthless against the hound's appearance. The beast's growling maw parted in every direction, saliva trickled down from its razor teeth as the mouth grew to enormous sizes, the gaping maw finally stopped growing reaching a point probably where it could not stretch no longer, it was still enough to sever the cheetah in half with just one snap. With a confident and furious roar the hound charged.

Hunter pulled the branch up and as the creature approached him he shoved the wood vertically into the beast's maw, that prevented from clamping its gaping maw. The hound began to thrash, its mouth was shivering slightly as it tried to close it, even from here Hunter could see that the pieces of the wood were falling down already, the branch won't last long.

Maybe the hound couldn't use its teeth but it still could swing its paws, one of those swings surprised the cheetah, with a quick dodge he managed to prevent the claws from making deep lacerations in his body that would probably reach his spine but it wasn't enough to avoid the strike completely. He screamed as the claws managed to make three cuts on his chest, ripping the fabric of his coat to pieces.

Hunter fell on the ground only to realize that there was no ground behind him, with instinct kicking in he managed to grab onto the ledge of the outcropping before he fell down. The howling waterfall next to him effectively blocked every sound. A wet drop that fell on top of his head made him raise his eyes, the hound was leaning from the edge staring at him with hungry eyes, the branch that held its mouth was gone.

He looked down, with nothing left to loose he thought about letting go of the ledge and fall down along the water, it was still a better perspective than to be eaten by the hound. However before he could make his mind a whimper startled him, the cheetah looked up just to see his falcon plucking at one of the eyes of the creature. The hound was growling, whimpering and thrashing as it tried to crush the annoying bird, yet its struggle was in vain, the falcon managed to pierce one of its eyes.

The hound howled and began swinging its paws and snapping its mouth wildly completely blinded by rage, Hunter reached down and unstrapped the bag where the bird's food was located, with it in his hand he whistled and the falcon instantly clamped its talons on the bag. With a cry the bird took to the air and ripped the bag with its talons, the contents of the bag began to stream down towards the ground and exactly into the hound's eyes.

The creature began to whimper in pain as the contents of the bag completely blinded its already wounded eyes, when the creature began to thrash the bird hovered just inches from the edge of the outcropping. There was an furious roar when a brown spot passed by the creatures eyes, blinded by rage its swung its paw at the shape only to realize that it was farther than it seemed at first glance. While trying to reach the bird the hound leaned over the edge, blinded by the contents of the bag it didn't realize that there was no ground below it, so when it tried to place its raised paw on the ground it found that the floor was gone.

Still growling the beast leaned over the edge and fell down. Hunter observed the falling creature, he could see it swirling in the air and still swinging its paws, he watched the beast until its form finally disappeared below the water. With a painful sigh he pulled himself up, as he laid flat on the solid ground he noticed the falcon standing in front of him. Hunter smiled and nodded his head, the bird cried out and took to the air.

With a painful groan he pulled himself up, he touched his chest and looked at his paw soon after, it was covered in blood. With a painful hiss he looked ahead just to realize that the orc leader was staring at him from the other side with his axe held in his hands.

" it doesn't matter if you survive this, our mission was to stall our pursuers and we did just that. You are too late cat" with that he roared and leaped at the protruding remains.

The remnants of the block had enough, they began to shake violently, the orc standing on them fought valiantly to regain his balance. He would perhaps do just that if not for an arrow hitting the shaking remains, the tip severed the already unstable construction. There was only a loud rumbling noise as the remains finally gave away and crumbled, the sound of a gurgle followed soon after.

Hunter approached the crack and looked down, the leader was there, his body was arched upwards, a bloody stony spike was protruding from his spasming body.

The cheetah kneeled down, unsheathed a dagger and began to turn the blade around in his hand while observing its silvery surface " Tell me what are you planning and I'll end your suffering, I promise"

The orc gurgled in response, blood shot from his mouth and covered his face. After a failed attempt to voice his thoughts the orc began to move his lips slowly as if he was whispering.

Hunter leaned forward to make out the response, but instead of receiving an answer the orc spitted at him. The leader emitted a weak cackle before he exhaled his last breath and passed away. Hunter wiped the bloody saliva from his face and headed back the road he came here while tightly clenching his wounded chest. As he returned to the river where the group of enemy soldiers separated he began to clean his cuts, but no matter how carefully he did that he just couldn't stop thinking about the orc's words.

" Too late for what?" Hunter muttered


	28. Chapter 10 Book II

Chapter 10

The moon illuminated the ground with its silvery light, putting to rest those who waited for it and waking up those who cherish it. Those nocturnal creatures broke the silence that usually follows the night and they were not the only ones. Among the sounds of the nightly beasts a sole cheetah was sitting on a rocky ground near a fire, which was surrounded by trees.

The sound of the cracking fire perfectly intertwined with the sounds of the nightly life. Hunter has been chasing after the second group for hours, and since he was catching up to them it was a proper time for preparation. He poked the fire with a stick, the flame as if annoyed burst with new bright flames, emitting more light and heat at the same time.

Placing the stick down the cheetah reached for his weapon, he grabbed the bow alongside his quiver and placed them just next to him. With that he picked up the bow and examined it closely under the light of the fire, satisfied he placed the weapon just in front of him on a nearby flat rock illuminated by the red flames. He then reached for his quiver and pulled four arrows, three of them he put just next to the weapon while the fourth he carefully placed on top of the bow, so the projectiles tip laid directly on the weapon's surface while it's feathers were slightly behind its string.

With the weapons in place he unstrapped his belt, the flames reflected from the blue gems surfaces, the remaining bags and a sheathed dagger sprawled neatly on the rock. Hunter straightened his left paw and reached down his leg, his claws disappeared in the barely visible cut in his pants just above his knee. Seconds later he withdrew his hand, gripped in his claws was another dagger, he brought the blade close to the fire. He examined the weapon, he could see his own reflection in its silvery surface, with a delicate nod he put the dagger just below the bow.

Hunter then unstrapped the yin-yang symbol and reverently placed in the corner of the flat rock ahead of him, as far away from the weapons as possible. The cape without anything holding it in place cascaded down his back, he grabbed it and hung the cape on a nearby tree branch that seemed quite sturdy and was hanging just at arm's reach.

With that in place Hunter with clenched teeth grabbed his coat, with painful hissing he slowly grabbed his coat and began to yank it to free himself. Eventually the clothing landed in his hands, revealing a white shirt with three bloody cuts beneath it. He observed the wear under the red light, with sad and painful eyes he hung the almost destroyed coat on the branch.

He grabbed the hem of his white dirty and bloody shirt, hissing and groaning he straightened his arms upwards pulling the shirt through his head. Just like the coat the shirt had three long cuts on it, with a painful sigh he hung the bloody clothing next to his other clothes. Hunter touched his chest and winced, the bandage he wrapped around himself was not really helping, however the provisional healing method prevented the wounds from becoming infected.

The stinging pain lingered there, it even intensified after his touch, Hunter raised and looked at his hand, his ears flattened against his skull when he noticed that his palm was drenched with blood. The bandage was already soaking, with an angry snarl he grabbed the end of the bandage and began to unroll it from his chest. When he was done he wanted to throw away the bandage but didn't allow to give himself to his reckless impulse, on a mission every bit of helpful material counts.

The scout put the rolled bloody bandage on a nearby rock and reached for his belt, from it he unstrapped a single bag. A sound of glass knocking against glass could be heard as he reached down the bag, from it he withdrew a small flask with a greenish substance inside of it. The cheetah uncorked the flask and dipped his forefinger inside the glassy container.

The substance was moist but at the same time quite sticky, it almost felt like some kind of glue. Hunter wasn't really an expert in herbalism, he could of course prepare a simple ointment that would somehow help to heal his wounds but nothing like this. He received this medicine from Amela and she was a healer in a draconic city so it goes without saying that the female cheetah knows more about medicine than he does.

With an anxious and somewhat sad sigh he pressed his sticky finger to his wound and instantly clenched his teeth while hissing painfully. The moment he pressed his finger to the cut the stinging pain dramatically intensified, he impulsively flexed his abdomen muscles, the wound itself began to bulge pumping new fresh blood through the laceration.

With an afflicting groan he continued to smear the ointment along his first cut, it hurt but what years of battle experience have taught him is that a good medicine always tastes and feels bitter. He continued to cover his wound until the hints of red were completely hidden under the greenish glue, he did the same thing with all of his other wounds, also remembering about that on his arm, the cheetah kept hissing as he worked, the pain was antagonizing but unfortunately necessary.

The moment he finished he let out an exhausted breath, it was finally over. To his surprise the ointment seemed to be working right away, the stinging pain was quenched almost immediately replaced by a delicate enjoyable chill. He moved the flask towards the fire and looked it over, the cheetah couldn't shake of his admiration, how is someone able to do something like this is beyond comprehension of his simple mind.

He wrapped himself cursorily with another fresh bandage, so the wound would make contact with a clean material, the moment he pressed the gauze to the cut green stains immediately covered the white material. With this bandage in place he reached for the bloody one and wrapped it around himself, covering the new fresh gauze.

Now everything that was left to do was to wait, he reached for the shirt and put it on, he once again examined the weapons placed before him on the flat rock, he touched each of them as if giving them the sign that he didn't forget about their purpose. With a sigh Hunter grabbed the stick and started to poke at the fire once more, after a short while it spitted out flames as if trying to punish him for his pestering.

* * *

_There was a burst of laughing when the nearby fire spitted out flames that nearly burnt the face of the nearby young cheetah, the feline dropped the stick he was holding and instantly landed on his butt while patting his head and face just in case his fur would burst in flames. The laughing never ceased but the young cat was unmoved by it, he was focused on his own self entirely, after a while of constant patting he dropped his hands to the ground and stared at the cracking fire with wide blue eyes while panting heavily._

_A young cheetah with orange fur pointed mockingly a finger at the shocked feline " Hunter you clumsy idiot!" he laughed_

_The sitting cat turned to the other cheetah with an angry snarl plastered on his face " Shut up Prowlus!" he growled_

_The second kid didn't stop laughing " And you want to be a chief! You would burn down your own house!"_

_Hunter stood up and narrowed his eyes on the feline while clenching his fists tightly " Your home is going to burn down first!"_

_Prowlus laughed " I'm not so clumsy!"_

_The first kid growled " I've told you to shut up!"_

" _Children that's enough!" a firm feminine shout admonished both young felines_

_Both children instantly shut their mouths and turned towards the female cheetah with a very sharp brown fur and brown eyes, a silvery earing with a tiny emerald in its socket dangled from her left ear. Both young cheetahs dropped their heads respectfully._

" _Sorry" they said simultaneously_

_The lively young female tutor stomped her feet on the ground " Do not be sorry, this is a sign of weakness!" she snapped " How many times do I have to tell you that you are rivals, you both are competing to be the future chief! A wise chief never mocks his opponent , he respects him so stop this childish games and focus! Do you understand?"_

" _Yes" both children muttered at the same time_

_The female threw her hands in the air " What was THAT?!" she exclaimed irritated while narrowing her gaze on both young felines " This is how a proud chief responds? By muttering something under his breath like a coward? One of you is bound to be a chief so I expect to receive an answer that only a strong and powerful would give, leaving no place for doubt, making his intentions clear." She straighten up and took a breath " So…" she narrowed her brown eyes on the children again "Do you understand?"_

_Both young cheetahs looked her straight in the eyes " YES!" they exclaimed simultaneously_

_The female nodded " Good"_

" _I don't like her" Hunter whispered to his rival_

" _Me too" Prowlus whispered back_

_Their tutor scratched her left ear and folded her arms " Now Hunter, will you tell what have you done wrong?"_

_The young cheetah scratched the back of his head while staring at the cracking fire confused " I…I don't know, I've used the herbs just like you told me to do and it just burst"_

" _Think" she snapped " You want to be a chief who doesn't know where he makes mistakes? A chief who doesn't learn and draw conclusions? You want to lure your enemies with a fire like that? What for? When they would only find your scorched body"_

_Hunter growled faintly, their new tutor irritated him greatly " I don't know!" he exclaimed angrily_

" _That's right! Anger, rage, it fuels you but you have to focus it properly" she narrowed her eyes on the cheetah " What does fire do?"_

_The young cheetah sighed irritated " What does that have to do with anything?"_

" _Don't question your tutor child!" she snarled " Answer the question"_

_Hunter shrugged not really knowing what to say " I don't know… it destroy things" he replied negligently_

" _Exactly" the young cheetah ears perked up, he looked at her surprised, hearing the female agreeing with him " So if fire destroys things, it kills things so what is fire to you?"_

_The young feline looked at the ground, his pupils were moving from side to side like they were trying to read an invisible text from the earth " It destroys things…it kills things…it hurts things…" he muttered thoughtfully, after a short while he looked at the female with determination in his eyes " It is my enemy"_

_She nodded " And when we fight with an enemy we always look for an-"_

" _Opening" both the female and Hunter spoke in unison_

_The female tutor nodded once again " Well done Hunter"_

_The other cheetah snorted " Finally, I figured it out a long time ago"_

_Hunter clenched his fist angrily while throwing his rival an irritated glance " You are way too stupid to do that"_

_Prowlus shrugged " Still I'm the one who prepared the trap right and would live to see another day"_

_The young cheetah narrowed his blue yes on his competitor while growling angrily " You…you…you…"_

" _Hush" their tutor let out a single word, yet it ringed with such a gentle and commanding tone that it silenced both children immediately " Now Hunter grab the stick and I'll show you how to do it right"_

_The young cheetah nodded and excitedly picked up the stick before crouching next to his tutor carefully eyeing the fire with her._

_The feline tutor stared at the fire for a while, its flames were dancing in her brown eyes " Tell me Hunter, is anger a good advisor in battle?"_

" _Only if you focus it properly" he replied unhesitatingly_

_The feline smiled, despite her strict demeanor, her beautiful smile was full of kindness, like there was an completely another person hiding behind all that veil of rigor " Good, you were listening" _

_She narrowed her eyes on the flames and her smile disappeared instantly, replaced by the stern expression the young cheetah was so well accustomed with " Fire is pure destructive power, its hate is unrelenting and uncontrolled hate leads to a downfall. To conquer a raging opponent you have to fuel your instinct by your own anger, but don't hate your opponent directly, focus instead on the things you will lose when you are defeated, let that anger you, never get provoked by your rival"_

_The female tutor took a pause before continuing her speech " You lost a battle with this fire because you allowed yourself to get provoked, evaluate your moves, think and you will win" she looked at her pupil's hand which tightly gripped the stick " The stick is your sword…"_

_Hunter impulsively looked at the woody part and studied it carefully, as if he truly could see a silvery blade instead of a tiny piece of a tree_

_The female grabbed his hand and guided it towards the cracking fire, with the stick pointing forward " … and as if in any fight, you look for an opening" she yanked his hand forward, the stick poked at the burning wood, tiny flames burst out as if sending an alarm signal that it is a dangerous game that the cheetahs are playing_

_She leaned closer towards the young cheetahs head, her own face stopped just right next to Hunter's ear " Always be confident" she whispered " Don't get intimidated by your opponent's display of power, control the situation." She yanked his hand again, once more the wood had been poked at, new flames burst out momentarily_

" _See these slightly darker flames? This is your opening, take advantage of it and the fire will succumb to your will. Just like with a living enemy, absolutely never strike where your opponent is the strongest " she pointed at the fire with her other hand " Like this bright orange flames here, always look for a weakness and take advantage of it"_

_Hunter poked at the fire with the guidance of his tutor until the fire finally spitted out flames but not as powerfully as before._

" _It worked!" the young cheetah jumped in triumph and exclaimed happily_

_She smiled and stood up " Of course it did" she eyed the fire from bottom to top, the smoke coming out of it was way bigger and thicker than before " With a fire like that you will lure your opponents to your position with ease" her smiled was gone once again, she turned towards her two students and folded her arms " Now, what is the most important thing when laying a trap?"_

" _Strength to defeat all of your enemies of course" Prowlus replied confidently_

_The tutor shook her head " Wrong, strength is just a minor factor when setting up ambushes"_

" _Wit" Hunter added_

_She hummed thoughtfully " Wit is important yes, but when literally laying a trap, wit is important to judge the situation, if it safe enough to lure your enemies, to judge if you will survive the encounter. Imagine the trap is set, so with the ambush already prepared what is the most important thing that will make it work?"_

" _Confidence?' the orange cheetah answered hesitatingly_

_She narrowed her eyes on the young cheetah " Are you asking me? This is how confidence looks like?" she snapped back at him irritated_

_Prowlus frowned " Confidence" he repeated determined_

_The female nodded slightly " The MOST important children, confidence plays a big role in every fighter's life, you have to be always sure of your decisions if you want to be a chief, even if one day they will turn out to be the wrong ones." she made a circular motion with her hand urging the children to continue " Go on"_

_Both young cheetahs looked at each other, lack of any further ideas beamed in both their eyes_

_She eyed both children, waiting for their response, giving them time to think even if their reaction already betrayed that they have no idea what to say " Do you know what is the most important thing when preparing an ambush or not?" she finally asked after a while of silent staring_

_Both young cheetahs dropped their heads in shame and shook them_

" _Control" she said and waited for the children to look at her before continuing " Control is the most important factor during an ambush, you have to make sure that the place of your ambush is your playground, make your enemies dance to your music. You don't want a bloodthirsty mercenary surprising you now don't you?"_

_She kneeled down while observing the young cheetahs intently " And how do you prevent your enemy from surprising you?"_

" _Whenever I hunt I always take advantage of my surroundings" Hunter replied confidently_

_She smiled " Precisely, you would be a great scout one day Hunter if you only wished to become one"_

_The young cheetah grinned, not everyone however shared his happiness, an irritated snort could be heard from his young rival_

_The female tutor chuckled " It hurt your pride Prowlus didn't it?" the young cheetah looked at her with an angry frown on his face " Good, you realize that you can't be the best in everything, nobody can. That's why when you become a chief you need to know your soldiers, use their best skills, respect them and they will respect you"_

_The orange cheetah looked at the ground thoughtfully, after a while he raised his head and nodded in understanding_

_She smiled once more as she stood up and started to walk away from the children as if lost in thought " The idea of this trap is to make your enemies notice you, so how do you plan on using your surroundings when you can't hide?"_

_Hunter scratched the back of his head " I…I…I…" he kept muttering until a sudden snap coming from the direction where his tutor went forced his ears to flinch, he looked at her surprised_

" _Why did you stop thinking?" she asked strictly_

_He looked at the ground " Sorry, you snapped a twig, I've got distracted"_

_She grinned " Is that so? Tell me children what makes us special as people? What our specie has that nobody else has?"_

_Both cheetahs looked at each other and began muttering something under their breaths thoughtfully until another snap ended their struggle_

" _It's hard to focus when you do that!" Hunter protested_

" _Really?" she crossed her hands behind her back and snapped the twig again " Did you hear that?"_

" _Of course we did, I've already told you its distracting"_

" _Doesn't it seem strange to you?"_

_Hunter looked at his tutor confused " Not really, what strange can be-"_

" _You are too far away" Prowlus muttered cutting off his young rival_

_She pointed a finger at the orange cheetah " Yes Prowlus keep going"_

" _You are standing too far away from us, but we can still hear the twig snapping"_

_Hunter looked at his tutor, then at the ground, it was in fact quite a distance between them and the female " Hey, you may be right…"_

" _Exactly" she exclaimed before grabbing the tip of her ear and wriggling it delicately " Hearing, this is our great advantage. Our sensitive ears can catch a sound even if it's coming from afar, apes nor even dragons have such sensitive ears"_

_Hunter's eyes widened " Dragons? I've never seen one, is it true that they can do magic?"_

_The female cheetah frowned and let out a growl while throwing the youngster an angry glance " Dragons are not a part of this lesson, maybe one day you'll meet them but it won't happen if you won't focus on your task!"_

_The young cheetah didn't say a word, he only dropped his head and nodded_ _apologetically_

_The female showed them the twig " This is how you use your surroundings when laying a trap like this, scatter the sticks or similar things that make some noise when stomped on and you are one step closer to making a successful ambush. With the sticks laying in a safe distance from your position you wait until you hear a…" she snapped the twig once more, making the ears of both young cheetahs flinch "… this is how you will know that your enemy is approaching, knowledge prevents unwanted surprises."_

_She flicked the twig away and approached the two cats while patting the hilt of her sword strapped to the side of her belt " Any ideas why this trap is so alluring to your enemies?"_

" _They can see us" Prowlus replied_

_She nodded " Correct, however there is a way to make this trap more efficient, risky but if you trust your skills you'll survive this with barely a scratch" she sat in front of the fire and motioned for the two children to take place at her sides_

_The moment their butts touched the ground she continued " Why people start fires in the wilderness in the first place?"_

" _To make camp, to rest" Hunter answered without hesitation_

_She nodded " Very good"_

_Prowlus snorted " That was easy!"_

_She smirked " Yet you haven't answered the question"_

_Hunter cackled_ _mischievously and poked his tongue at his rival_

_The orange cheetah growled faintly_

_Their tutor frowned " Enough of this, focus children" she exhaled and withdrew her sword " The idea of this trap is to make your enemies think that you are unaware of your surroundings, that you are preparing to rest. Make everything in your power to make this illusion as real as possible, clean yourself, take off your clothes, patch your wounds if you have any, this will make your enemies surround you"_

_Prowlus shook his head " It sounds like suicide, with no armor even a single scratch might cripple you"_

_She moved the sword closer to the fire and began to move it slowly back and forth, while observing the flames reflecting in its silvery blade " You are a Falcon, you aspire to be a chief one day of this tribe so it is your duty to become the perfect hunter just like the symbol of your tribe. To become an ideal hunter you need to learn the secrets of every other cheetah clan, this day I'm passing to you ours. Honestly I don't care if any of you becomes chieftain, I see potential in both of you and if you are not meant to become a leader I'm sure this knowledge will be useful to you anyway. _

_She put down the sword and sighed " To answer your question, yes it seems to be suicidal, yes it seems to be crazy but it also proves that you are worthy to be called a champion. Be like the Falcon children, fast, precise and merciless. This is a dangerous game and if you will make a mistake there won't be any second chance. Are you still willing to learn?"_

_There was a moment of silence as both young cheetahs looked at each other, they haven't said a single word yet they understood each other perfectly._

" _Yes" both of them answered at the same time_

_The tutor nodded " Very well, may Fortune favor you in years to come" she clapped her hands startling both children " So, we already have the fire lit, the illusion of a camp is prepared, now it's our turn to act. First your weapons " she placed the sword in front of her " The idea is to make your enemies believe that you are unarmed, so place your main weapon in such a way so it can be easily spotted by your enemies but also remember to lay the weapon close enough for you to reach it when the fight starts."_

_She pulled out a dagger " Next your secondary weapon, place it close and in sight, use it as soon as the attack starts, I always carry a spare in my pants anyway, you should too. Now the last thing depends on your fighting style" she withdrew a throwing knife " As a warrior I always carry these babies with me but bow and arrows work just as fine" she placed three knifes in front of her " These are your projectiles, use them right after your secondary weapon. I've learnt that three is the best I can do before the enemy is on top of me, so I advise you to use three as well, that way you use all of them without leaving any for your enemies, always remember that your forgotten equipment might be used against you."_

" _Now clothes and armor " she unstrapped the dark cloak she was wearing which cascaded down her back, the cheetah grabbed it and gave the children a saucy smile " That's enough, you are too young to see the rest" she winked _

_She put down the cloak " Act as if you are patching up yourself if you really don't have any real wounds that's it, if you do use the opportunity to heal yourself. By now your enemy discovered you and is preparing to attack, yet they still are waiting for the right moment. To hasten their advance…"_

_She unstrapped her belt and threw it to the side, all kind of weapons and bags dangled from it and clattered as they hit the rock " Every fighter carries with him a belt filled with all kind of daggers, bags and the like, throwing that away shows your enemies that your are giving away all of your weapons. Remember to place the belt close, grab a weapon from it as soon as you use all of your projectiles and pick up the belt, as I said you don't want your enemies using your own weapons against you."_

_With a pat on her knees she stood up, wrapped the belt around herself and sheathed her sword, knifes and dagger " This conclude our training session for today, this was pure theory, tomorrow we will see how you both will fare when we will push the training to a more practical sessions. Remember " she turned towards the children and grabbed the tip of her ear " When your ears will react, your enemy is attacking, fight back as a predator you are and may Fortune favor you children"_

* * *

Hunter smiled, it's a wonder how his perspective changed some months later, a child whose only dream was to become a chief abandoned his, some may call it destiny, just to pursue his fascination. No regrets, that life wasn't for him, this is where he found purpose, serving under the banner of the creatures that mesmerize him. It's a risky and dangerous life, but he wouldn't change it for anything else.

His ears flinched, they had caught the sound of a twig snapping, Hunter swallowed " Here we go…"

There was a sound of some arrows being released, accompanied by the cries of charging enemies. The cheetah instantly dropped to the ground, the moment the arrows whizzed above him he adopted a crouching position, he heard and noticed an ape throwing an axe at him with an angry growl. With a quick spin he managed to avoid the whirling axe, he saw the weapon passing through the flames as he turned. He grabbed the dagger he prepared early and the moment he was about to face the mercenary he flung the weapon at him, the blade pierced the soldier's eye, killing him on the spot.

Still spinning around Hunter grabbed the bow with the prepared projectile laying on top of it, he strung it in mere seconds just to release an arrow moments later. The wooden projectile impaled itself right in between the eyes of one of the archers. The scout moved his hand backwards to grab another arrow before jumping on the ground to avoid another set of arrows coming his way, while in the air he set loose another projectile that struck down a second archer.

With a swift swipe of his tail he picked up the last two arrows, he raised on one knee and released one of the projectiles that took down a third archer. With a fast turn he fired the last arrow at the fourth archer, the arrow killed the soldier but not before he could release an arrow of his own, however the mortal wound forced the ape to lose accuracy, with a sharp yank of his body to the side Hunter managed to avoid the projectile, yet he could feel the feathers brushing against his shoulder as the arrow raced past him.

The scouts ears flinched again as an evil roar sounded just behind him, the cheetah instinctively raised his bow upwards. His sturdy weapon managed to stop the sword coming from above that would otherwise split his head in half. He could hear the soldier faintly gasping in surprise, taking advantage of the shock he caused Hunter reached down his other pantleg and withdrew a dagger which he later plunged into the soldier's uncovered kneecap.

The mercenary howled in pain and began to collapse unable to hold his weight on his injured leg, however his fall just like the howl was abruptly ended by a dagger piercing his jaw. Hunter stood up tightly gripping the hilt of his weapon, he could see the bloody blade protruding from the soldier's jaw inside his mouth.

The cheetah's sensitive ears picked up the sound of a stringing bow behind him, Hunter pushed the dagger as far as he could to get a better hold of his opponent's body, with a sharp turn he exchanged positions with his enemy. Moments later a bolt struck the soldier's back severing his spine and killing him on the spot. Hunter withdrew the dagger from the soldier's jaw dragging a trail of blood behind it. The body slumped to the ground, the moment nothing blocked his view Hunter flung the dagger at the orc, it struck him right in the throat stealing all the life out of him in seconds.

He dashed forward and reached for his belt, he wrapped it around himself just to pick up the sword of the recently fallen mercenary. Hunter parried an attack of another soldier who threw himself at him, the cheetah unsheathed the dagger from his belt and prepared to sink it in the soldier's chest. Unlucky for him the orc realized what he was up to and instantly tackled the feline pushing his arm with the short blade to the side.

Hunter hit the rocky ground with a grunt, the dagger rolled out from his arm at the impact, once again he found himself being pinned by his enemy. Both their main weapons also were thrown from their grip and clattered somewhere on the nearby stones. The orc straightened up and struck the cheetah's face with a powerful hook, before he could defend himself Hunter received another blow to the other side of his face.

Just as soon as a fist was approaching him again, Hunter raised one of his arms to block it while with the other he reached down his belt and unstrapped one of the bags. He was defenseless against another strike to his face however, he could hear his teeth grinding against each other in pain, without wasting any more time he flicked the bag straight into the fire while striking the burning wood with his clenched fist.

He hissed as his hand was burned but the end result was worth it, the accurate strike created an opening inside the cracking wood just like the one he made when he was young. The fire intensified by the powder he threw into it recently, the fire spit out flames slightly to the air, it looked like a dragon who was just using his elemental attack. The hot flames scorched the orc on top of him, the soldier rolled off of him screaming in pain while covering his face.

Even from the ground Hunter could feel the heat, in fact he was quite certain that he got burned but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to before. He quickly rolled in the direction where the thrashing orc laid while picking up the sword from one of the nearby stones. On his knees Hunter grabbed the hilt in two hands and raised it high above his head just to bring the weapon down with a sharp move and a growl. The blade sunk deep into the soldier's chest forcing out a stifled groan out of him, with the sword locked in place Hunter twisted it forcefully, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of the orc exhaling faintly his last breath.

The cheetah instinctively spun around while swiping his sword in a wide arc, to his surprise however there was no one there. His eyes traveled across the battleground, besides him there was no one left alive, the fire was cracking intensely and several bodies were sprawled on the ground in pool of their own bloods. His ears perked up as he began to listen intently for any sound, he remained in that position for a while but nothing caught his attention that sounded out of the ordinary.

With a tired sigh his shoulders slumped down, together with his ears flattening on his skull. He had done it, panting heavily he examined the scene once more, archer, archer, a common soldier…, his eyes widened, something was nor right. When he was tracking this group he could easily discern the mark of one of the leaders or similar high ranking soldier he already had a comparison embedded in his mind , yet no officer was laying dead here on the ground.

His blue eyes caught a glimpse of somebody moving behind the trees, he rolled forward and instantly withdrew an arrow from his quiver, by now the shrouded figure already spotted what he was doing and began escaping in panic. Fast but steady. Hunter picked up his bow and strung the arrow, he waited for the right moment and set it loose. There was a scream of pain as the arrow struck the escaping figure in the leg and brought it to the ground.

The cheetah flung the bow behind his back and dashed in the direction of the form while preparing his sword in case he had to defend himself. There was a lightly armored ape soldier crawling on the ground with his injured leg being dragged behind him, the soldier kept groaning and panting quickly as he pushed with all his strength to be as far away as possible from the cheetah. Hunter spotted the figure and began approaching it slowly with the sword tightly gripped in his hand.

There was a snap and the ape immediately looked behind him, he screamed in terror when he noticed the feline approaching him with his sword at the ready. Groaning, grunting and screaming he started to crawl even more faster, at least he thought so, he swiped with his arms chaotically but he was even moving slower than before, in fact it seemed that in his panicked state he was doing more harm to himself than the arrow did in the first place.

Hunter grabbed the crippled soldiers shoulder and forcefully rolled him onto his back while raising his sword

The soldier raised his hands defensively " Please don't kill me!" the ape yelped

The cheetah looked him over, the ape was young, and clearly unexperienced, it almost seemed like this was his first task. Hunter narrowed his blue eyes on the mercenary " What are you doing here, so far in dragon's territory?"

" I don't…" the soldier muttered horrified " Don't kill me please!"

" Answer the question" the feline replied coldly

" I don't know!" he blurt out " They never told me anything! Just don't kill me!"

" Tell me where you leader is and I might let you live"

" He ordered us to stay here and wait for anyone who might be following while he made his way to rejoin with the first group"

" WHERE?" Hunter snarled

The mercenary shivered " East! East! Near the jungle, where there is some kind of a stony terrain or something, I don't know really that's what I've overheard. I swear that's everything I know, please don't kill me!"

" Why have you joined the Dark Army? Don't lie to me"

" Wealth! I only wanted wealth! I don't care about power or these strange gems, I just wanted to be rich!" he almost cried

Hunter sighed and lowered his weapon, the young ape's reasons were stupid but they weren't malicious. Not to mention that he couldn't kill someone in cold blood, he isn't a murderer " Greed will be the end of you one day" he reached down his leg and pulled out the arrow forcing a painful yelp from the ape " Go and never come back, I don't care if you'll survive but if you do I don't want to see you here ever again"

The ape couldn't hold back his tears " Thank you! Thank you I swear you'll never hear of me again!"

The scout gave the ape a bandage and a single flask of his healing ointment " Take this, it will help your wound to heal faster"

The unexperienced soldier accepted the gift with shaking hands and nodded not being able to utter a single word of gratitude.

Hunter returned to his camp and prepared for the journey ahead, there was still some distance he has to cross before he will catch up with the remnants of the Dark Army. He still had no idea what they were planning but at least now he knew where he was going and won't waste time locating tracks. Not to mention that he also eliminated two groups already, there was however one still left and most likely it was the most dangerous one.

Hunter put out the fire and started his pursuit, he only hoped that Fortune was still on his side.


	29. Chapter 11 Book II

Chapter 11

Hunter knew exactly where he was headed, during his run he of course noticed the tracks of the single ape and soon later of the entire group but he never bothered to examine them carefully. The scared ape described a terrain near a jungle in a shape of a stony circle, in fact in was nothing more than that, a circle made of stone, so either the ape really was left in the dark or the Dark Army doesn't know what that circle is, or perhaps they simply don't care.

If his ears would be more sensitive they would hear his own mind pulsing inside his skull as it was ceaselessly processing for some time now all the information he has gathered regarding the strange circle and the recent events. It occurred to him then that the Atlawa tribe inhabiting the Tall Plains had nothing to do with the odd stony pattern embedded into the greenish ground near their territory, in fact they've sounded pretty surprised themselves.

Hunter knew about the circle because he volunteered to be the investigator of this strange occurrence for the Dragon City. When he arrived at the scene he began his examination, but besides pointing the obvious- that a circle made of stone hardly fits in a terrain surrounded by only rainforest and grass, couldn't discover anything else. It's been weeks since his last appearance here, maybe he couldn't find anything because back then the whole Realms were mourning and talking about Spyro's presumed death.

It was then when something struck him, he froze, if the cheetah would be in some sort of a cartoon now a light bulb would appear above his head. The Atlawa arrived in Warfang two days after the dragon constellation appeared in the sky, two days after Malefor's defeat, two days after Spyro's disappearance. Knowing about the portals he had no doubt that the circle is related to these strange veils, he was quite certain that it appeared through one such portal. It seems that the Dark Army knows about them also, whatever they are trying to do it can't be good.

He looked up at hearing the sound of a falcon's urging call, listening to his avian companion Hunter darted forward, if the orc leader he fought earlier was speaking the truth he might already be too late. After a while he was beginning to arrive at his destination, but then something unexpected happened, a loud roar echoed throughout the terrain just like a very powerful thunder would strike nearby.

Hunter being surprised by the noise instantly adopted a crouching position and prepared his bow, his instinct kicked in, it always told him to be cautious of danger whenever something surprises you, this time however nothing attacked, nevertheless it's still better to be safe than sorry. The roar was unexpected but the sight some moments later shocked him even more.

His ears flattened on his skull as he looked up, the sky darkened in an instant, covering the Tall Plains in a coat of a thick darkness. He gasped when an yellow column of light shot towards the darkened sky, the moment it hit an unseen barrier of some sorts high above, the sky adopted the form of a spider web, it looked like cracks appearing on a block of ice. The yellow hue transformed itself into a completely white light, and moments later tendrils shot from the web and travelled through the sky, momentarily they disappeared behind the horizon.

The spider web faded, and together with it faded the artificial night, sun emerged again with the azure sky following in its wake. Hunter stared at the sky in awe, whatever just happened lasted for seconds, nevertheless it still was quite a sight. Hunter didn't waste time on sightseeing, his complete focus was turned towards the direction from which the column of light appeared, even if he didn't see the location yet, he was clearly certain that it led towards the stony circle.

Either this was a sign of something sinister really being prepared by the Dark Army or he was in fact already late, whatever the case may be he cannot allow the last group to escape, it would be an unpleasant surprise for the people living here when they would accidently encounter a group of enemy soldiers roaming their territory. Whatever the case may be he was quite certain that the Atlawa had to notice the beam and most likely their soldiers were already on their way here. The Dark Army most likely figured out that also, so he doesn't have much time before they will vanish, Hunter pulled on his hood, his purpose was set, he needs to stall them long until reinforcements arrive, hopefully.

He once again extended his arm and bent it in the elbow before whistling, it was a tune only one kind of creature understood. Seconds later the falcon's talons wrapped themselves against his red arm band, he patted the avian creature, it let out a cheerful cry while stretching its wings.

Hunter smiled " I know you are eager my friend but this time this is not your fight. Seek out the Atlawa, lead them here, make haste" he yanked his arm.

The bird took off with a loud call, it flapped its wings hastily and rose above the tree level, seconds later the avian companion disappeared from the cheetahs sight.

Hunter's eyes returned to the ground, another fight was approaching, he took a deep breath and ran his hand across his chest, as if trying to remind himself that a life of a fighter is a merciless one and every aching injury only proves that he is still alive.

He rubbed the yin-yang symbol with his thumb reverently " You are still with me aren't you?" he whispered but didn't receive any hearable response for the common ear, the feline smiled " Of course you are, I wouldn't be here otherwise" he narrowed his eyes on the path ahead " Let's make them regret their advance"

Hunter darted forward, always heading in the direction of the stony circle, yet always looking for every opportunity to get on higher ground. Whenever he had the chance he scaled some small hill, and after such every trek the sound of muffled voices were getting louder and louder, the noise making his sensitive ears twitch in anticipation.

The cheetah finally arrived on a hill that overlooked the circle, there were some thick bushes at its outcropping, a perfect place from which he could spread havoc among his enemies, and also eavesdrop on their conversation. His ears perked up under his hood the moment he crouched behind the bushes and moved away some of their leafs to get a better look on his opponents below.

His fears were justified, this is definitely the most dangerous group, besides spotting the ape leader of the group he eliminated recently, there was also an ape commander with his magical scepter strapped onto his back farther ahead. Next to him stood a very high orc cladded in a spiked heavy dark armor, there was a heavy dark shield on his back with a spiked club of the same color on top of it with a red gem inserted into the spiked ball.

That was a Hero orc, the most intimidating and dangerous foe from the Dark Army contingent, excluding Malefor, the alliance had to face. Besides the obvious elite group Hunter could spot several common soldiers with archers among them. Two of those soldiers were having a conversation right below him.

"What the hell was that?" one of the apes whispered to his comrade

" I don't know man!" the second soldier replied in a stifled voice " But it seems the big guy did exactly what he planned"

" I hate it dude, they don't tell us anything, they just treat us as cannon fodder"

The second soldier nodded " I hear you man, I hate it too but let's face it, everyone had to start from scratch. We just need to prove ourselves"

" Prove" the first ape scoffed " How can we prove ourselves when they keep us in the dark?"

The second ape looked around as if making sure that nobody is listening before focusing on his partner " I overheard the commander talking with the orc, this has something to do with the Master"

The first soldier looked shocked " Malefor, seriously? Come on tell me what did you hear!"

His partner once again looked around before speaking " I don't know man, but I think they want to bring him back somehow"

" Impossible!" the first ape exclaimed "The guy is dead, those two kids whacked him up good"

" Shhhh" his comrade hissed while motioning with his hand to silence him " Keep your voice down" he looked around once more before returning to his partner " That guy was an evil genius, I'm sure he had a backup plan or something"

The first ape folded his arms and stared at his companion unconvinced " Then let's hope Malefor will arrive here since the lamas will be on top of us soon, nobody could miss that light"

"MOVE OUT!" the ape commander roared the moment he finished his conversation with the orc

The first soldier threw his comrade a meaningful look

The second ape rolled his eyes " Ok fine, maybe he is not coming back" he pointed a finger at his partner " but I'm sure that the Dark Master had something to do with all of this"

" You are making this up, shut up"

" Think whatever you want about this but I'm right about this one, I can feel it!"

" The only thing we will feel will be the boot of our commander on our asses if we won't move" he waved for his comrade to follow him " Come on"

The ape probably exaggerated but now Hunter without a doubt could say that he was late, whatever the Dark Army wanted to accomplish here managed to do it. Maybe he will find out what this was all about later, but for now his goal was to stall the leaving group, they cannot be allowed to roam free through the alliance's territory.

The feline strung his bow and moved it forward, the leafs parted before his weapon, the only thing that protruded from the bushes was the tip of his arrow. Hunter narrowed his eyes, held his breath and aimed, another battle was approaching.

The Hero orc observed the soldiers as they were gathering near their commander, during such examination the corner of his eye caught a glint of something silvery up the hill. Before he could react there was a sharp whizz as the projectile passed by him followed by a muffled grunt as the arrow impaled itself in the ape leader's neck.

The ape fell on his knees in an instant while tightly clenching the projectile protruding from his neck, blood was flowing down from the wound and down the soldier's armor. Second later the leader's gurgles and groans ceased and he dropped to the ground face first, a pool of blood covered the ground below his corpse immediately.

" TAKE COVER!" the ape commander roared, and as soon as he finished another arrow raced through the air and struck down an archer.

The soldiers as well as their officers scattered in every direction, the Hero orc with an aggravated snarl did the same. Another whiz, another gurgle, an archer who was running behind him dropped dead in his tracks. The orc unfastened his large shield, just in time in fact to block another arrow that tried to take the life of a soldier next to him.

Silence has befallen on the recent battleground, all of the soldiers who yet still lived ducked behind a tree, or a rock. The orc stoically dropped his heavy shield on the ground and leaned slightly, just enough that the corner of his eye could scan the surroundings without the risk of his head receiving an arrow.

An ape soldier panted heavily next to the orc, not from exhaustion, but shock " Where the fuck are they?" he blurt out

The orc intently scanned the hill, his experienced eye noticed a slight flaw in the bushes up above, it was unnatural that leafs would create such inconsistent pattern " Not _they_" the orc replied coldly " It's a lonely archer"

The ape's eyes widened " One guy? Where?"

" On the cliff" the orc rested the back of his head on the stony cover and closed his eyes

" Have you seen how fast and accurate he is? And you want to tell me that there is only one guy up there?"

The Hero narrowed his red eyes on the soldier, it made the ape flinch" Watch your mouth" he snarled " I'm your superior, I know what I'm talking about, get a hold of yourself, you are a member of the Dark Army, act like one" he once again relaxed his head on the stone " No wonder the Master created us to be your replacement" he closed his eyes again

Part of the ape wanted to retort at this insult but the cautious part of his being won, the orc was in fact his superior and it would be unwise to antagonize his officer in a heat of battle. The ape managed to swallow his pride with much effort " So what are we going to do now?"

" YOU ARE TOO LATE CHEETAH!" the orc roared

Hunter frowned and looked surprised past the tip of his strung arrow, the fact the orc could discern his features when he was quite sure that he concealed himself pretty well only adds to the already high difficulty, those aren't amateurs. He threw a quick glance at his yin-yang symbol and sighed " I need you now more than ever" he looked at the sky with longing eyes before concentrating on the terrain ahead of him once more

" THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO NOW! WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED OUR GOAL" the orc roared again

The officer's words rang true, but he won't and can't let them get away with this. With a wiggle of his shoulders Hunter once again prepared his striking position

" THE MASTER WILL HAVE HIS REVANGE!"

" You sure he can hear us? He is quite far away" the ape blurt out impatiently

The orc frowned under his dark helmet " Be silent, you know nothing of your enemy" he snorted " You are pathetic"

Hunter narrowed his eyes, the orc was surely planning something, he didn't survive the siege on Warfang or the fight with the Destroyer to fall for a trick of a common soldier, no matter what his rank is among his contingent. However the mentioning of The Dark Master was somewhat unnerving, the cheetah was convincing himself that it was just a bluff, even if his common sense told him otherwise.

" THE REALMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE BATHED IN DRACONIC BLOOD!" after his shout the orc nodded slightly towards the ape commander hiding some distance farther away from him behind a rock. The ape officer made a simple motion with his hand, giving a signal for the archers telling them to prepare themselves for an attack.

Hunter waited patiently, he had the upper hand for the time being, he was sure that the soldiers below are planning something, in fact he was certain that his time of advantage is limited but at least he will try and make the best of it.

The orc pointed at himself just to direct his finger upwards seconds later, the ape commander nodded understanding the signal.

" AND NOW WE WILL ADD YOURS TO THE POOL!" the hero roared, grabbed the soldier next to him and lifted him above the rock.

" What the fuck are you doing?!" the ape screamed terrified

Momentarily all available archers rose from their covers and aimed their bows at the cliff. There was a whizz of an arrow and a grunt soon later, the orc lowered the soldier and frowned when he noticed that the soldier was alive and kicking.

" You are crazy!" the terrified soldier yelled

The orc ignored him and looked past his body to notice one of the archers who was supposed to attack the cheetah drop dead with an arrow between his eyes. He growled " FLUSH HIM OUT!"

Hunter remained calm, he had seen through their ruse, the archer he just killed forced the rest of the attackers to miss their target by meters due to shock. He quickly strung another arrow when he heard the orc's cry, seconds later every capable shooter appeared once again, together with the ape commander. Hunter managed to strike down another archer before a volley of arrows and a fireball reached him.

The cheetah quickly got up, spun around and jumped forward, the volley of arrows landed on the ground behind him with an audible smacking sound. The fireball also made contact with the ground, he could feel the heat as soon as it burst out flames after the impact. However that was the least of his worries, the flung fireball after collision created such a shockwave that the strong gust of wind that followed soon after forced him to slide from the hill at a great speed.

" ATTACK!" the orc roared while unfastening his weapon " KILL THE CAT!"

Hunter slid down from the rough cliff on his belly, he could feel the terrain ripping apart his freshly treated wounds. Impact with an obstacle at such speed would only knock him out, and it goes without saying that he would never again open his eyes when a thing like that would happen.

He reached down his belt and unstrapped two daggers, with gritted teeth he slid down farther until a tree came into sight that was just at hands reach. The moment Hunter reached it he thrust the daggers into its trunk, the blades didn't really sink into the wooden structure, instead they tore off the bark as they slid across the tree's trunk.

The end result wasn't exactly what he planned, he was still sliding down but at least he managed to drastically slow down. Unfortunately the daggers didn't hold him, their blades were thrown from the wooden structure with enough force to make Hunter's body spin, instead of sliding he now rolled down the slope.

Luckily for him he never reached the bottom since he soon stopped on a nearby tree, tangling himself in the long lianas that hung from the crown. He didn't have much time to regain his composure since he heard the sound of approaching footsteps from both sides, the enemy was beginning to surround him.

With his instinct kicking in Hunter used his daggers to quickly climb the tree and cut the liana from the farthest pint he could reach. Dropping down he sheathed his daggers, picked up the wooden vine and started to run back up the hill, with the liana dangling behind him.

" KILL HIM!" the orc roared while pointing his spiked club at the running cheetah before he himself started his pursuit after the cat

Hunter began maneuvering as he ascended the cliff once more, he could hear the arrows whizzing past him but his attackers were running just like him, that's why their accuracy was that lousy. As the cheetah kept pushing on he tied the liana around his waist in a tight knot that almost took all of his breath away, however such thing was necessary.

As he was nearing the outcropping he noticed quite a big stone protruding from the ground, he stopped and hid behind it just to fling the liana around its stony surface. He impulsively rose his head above the rock as he tied the vine into a tight knot. His head remained above the rock maybe only for a second since the moment he set his eyes on the steep terrain ahead his ears dropped on his skull and he had to instantly duck to avoid several arrows flying above him.

Without wasting any more time and with the liana tightly wrapped around his waist he left his hiding spot and darted towards the outcropping. As he ran he unstrapped his bow, with a corner of his eye he could see his enemies nearly behind his tail, they were close but he was faster than them nevertheless. Hunter unhesitatingly leapt from the cliff, the moment he raised into the air he spun around while stringing an arrow and just before he disappeared from his enemies sight he managed to surprise them by killing one archer.

An orc dropped dead just right next to the hero orc, the creature growled in frustration " IDIOTS!" he yelled while directing himself towards the stone with the liana tied around it.

With one strong blow he severed the connection, parts of the vein fell on the ground while the rest followed the falling cheetah. Hunter's eyes widened when suddenly he didn't feel any pressure around his waist, he instinctively yanked the liana just to find it loose. Luckily he wasn't far from the ground so the collision with the earth below wasn't that drastic but it still knocked out breath from his lungs. Groaning he opened his eyes just to see the hero orc leaning from the cliff and pointing his weapon at him

" FINISH HIM OFF!" the orc commanded

Focus returned to the feline in a matter of seconds when he noticed that the red gem embedded into the orc's weapon began to glow. Hunter quickly got up on his feet and darted forward, just in time since soon later a fiery hot red beam struck the place where he laid just mere seconds ago.

An furious roar of an ape commander echoed through the air, there was no use for words, the angry cry was enough to make the rest of the soldiers understand its meaning. The remaining archers released another series of arrows at the running cheetah, the ape commander didn't watch, the magician himself launched a small but very quick fireball at the dashing cat himself.

Hearing the sound of incoming arrows and magic projectile Hunter understood that he won't be able to outmanoeuvre the incoming projectiles. The feline instead leapt into the air and with his body and arms stretched forward he jumped above one of the many rocks his enemies used previously as cover. He could feel and hear the arrows bouncing off the stony structure, unfortunately he wasn't able to avoid getting hurt. Just before his legs could slump behind the rock the fireball collided with its surface, the flames it blurt out forth managed to catch the cheetah's still unprotected legs.

Hunter groaned painfully through clenched teeth as he slid down behind the stony surface, the flames managed to reach his flesh even through his pants and ankle bands. While still clinging to his hiding spot Hunter heard a falcon's cry in the distance, soon his sensitive ears picked up two more calls. Hunter understood the message perfectly, the Atlawa were coming, however judging from the cries of his flying friend the lamas weren't concentrating on a direct assault, they were instead surrounding their enemies, cutting of any escape routes in the process.

The cheetah with a painful sigh prepared his bow, with a quick breath he pulled himself up and took a quick peek from his cover. Only two archers remained on the cliff, they fired their bows at him but the apes were much less skilled than he was. Hunter easily dodged the projectiles just to fire an arrow of his own, the projectile didn't hit its target but it went past by the archer so closely that he won't be trying to attack anytime soon.

The cheetah swiftly prepared another arrow to scare off the second archer but then his sensitive ears picked up movement on his right flank. He spun around and released the projectile, only a stifled grunt was a sign that there was really someone there. Another sound, this time coming from his left side, with a quick spin Hunter repeated the procedure, it ended exactly as the previous one.

There was something wrong, these soldiers were committing suicides, their moves were uncoordinated, they seemed to forget about his hearing. Cheetahs can be surprised but you have to be very careful as you sneak towards them, and these soldiers weren't. Either the commander is throwing everything he has at him, which would have no sense at all since they clearly outnumber him or…

" We need to go!" Hunter muttered with a raised voice when realization struck him.

His enemies movements were uncoordinated because their commander wasn't here, and since the orc also vanished it could only mean one thing- both officers are retreating, they have to know that the Atlawa will get here sooner or later, and if they would linger around here for too long they would get surrounded. Darting forward Hunter made his way towards the area behind the cliff since that was most likely where both officers went.

However before he could truly begin his pursuit he was stopped in his tracks by two soldiers, the apes pointed their swords at him and charged with a loud war cry. Hunter being swift on his legs sidestepped to avoid a thrust and ducked under the second sword without even slowing down. He then leapt at one of the soldiers while he raised his weapon for another attack, with the cheetahs weight pressing on him the soldier couldn't keep his balance and fell to the ground. Hunter rolled forward while tearing the soldier's weapon from his hand, he then quickly got up and with a swift spin unstrapped one of his daggers and flung it at the standing soldier. The ape caught by surprise couldn't dodge it, the blade impaled itself in the soldier's throat, without wasting any time the feline rose the sword above his head and plunged it into the chest of the fallen ape, a gurgle and blurt out blood from the soldier's mouth was enough of a sign to tell that the thrust was a fatal one.

Recovering his dagger, and picking up the sword Hunter continued his pursuit, he could hear the soldier's shouts from behind him as they began to chase him, but he didn't care about them, he is fast, he can outrun them with ease and by the time they'll find him the Atlawa will be here. Hunter whistled a tune that only his flying companion could understand, as soon as he finished he could hear a falcon's cry in the distance as if in acknowledgement. The first call was soon followed by two more, which ordered haste.

Hunter nodded slightly, his message was understood, nobody can escape and the two officers are way too powerful to be handled alone. Nevertheless he never stopped, he had a goal to stall them, and he will accomplish it no matter what. Soon he picked up the trail, the two elites weren't really bothering to cover them, probably thinking that the soldiers would stall him long enough to give them time to escape.

The trail with each second became more and more apparent, he was gaining on them and soon he will catch up with the two soldiers. As he scanned the ground his keen eyes noticed disparity on the ground, his eyes widened when he realized that someone was meddling with it, it only meant one thing- this was a trap.

Years of experience and natural reflexes allowed Hunter to dodge the trap in the last second, unfortunately he wasn't able to avoid entirely the swinging black club appearing from behind a rock, the spikes caught his arm, tearing out fur and flesh, luckily for him the spikes didn't go far, yet the hit from such a massive weapon even if not a clean one managed to throw him off balance. Hunter couldn't regain his stability and fell on the ground face first.

The hero orc smirked as he turned to face the fallen cheetah while rotating the massive club in his hand " Told you he would come after us"

The ape commander stepped out from behind his cover while examining the disparity on the ground with a frown " You also told me that he would trigger the trap and be dead by now"

The orc shrugged " A small detail that can be easily corrected" he narrowed his eyes on the cheetah " Time to get ourselves a pelt"

With a roar the orc charged with the club raised above his head, Hunter rolled to the side just in time to avoid the strike, bits of grass and dirt bounced off his face as the club hit the ground. The ape commander charged his magical scepter, the air became suddenly cold, Hunter knowing what was happening reached down his pantleg and with a swift move threw a dagger at the ape. It didn't strike the commander but the blade managed to collide with the ape's weapon throwing it slightly to the side.

It was then when the ice bolt was released, bits of ice managed to scar the cheetah as the magical projectile shattered just a few meters from his body. The orc attacked again, and once again Hunter rolled away from the spiked club but this time when the strike missed him he adopted a crouching position and made a quick swing with his leg dragging it across the ground. The orc toppled to the ground with a grunt as he was thrown off balance.

Hunter instantly jumped forward above his fallen enemy, just in time in fact to avoid another magical missile. With a roll he unstrapped his bow and while in crouching position he spun around and immediately released arrow after arrow in quick succession at the ape commander. The projectiles never found their target since the orc rose in their way and blocked their path with his heavy shield.

When the last arrow shattered on its metallic surface the orc lowered his shield and with a roar pointed his weapon at the feline, the red gem was already glowing with energy. A red beam was set loose soon after, Hunter jumped to the side, as he rolled the scent of burning material invaded his nostrils. Only when he got up he realized that the beam melted entirely the bottom side of his cape.

The moment he rose Hunter released an arrow at the orc to prevent him from charging his weapon again, his enemy of course blocked the shot with his shield but it was enough to stall the orc even if for a little bit. He could feel the pulse of magical energy as another missile was being thrown at him, Hunter swiftly leaned his body backwards, the ice bolt flew just past his eyes. Even if the attack was a miss, the bolt still managed to leave an icy painful trail on his chest.

He won't be able to keep up with his enemies at this close range, he might be fast but everyone has his limits, the constant dodging was tiring and exhaustion only mean slowness. He had to retreat to a safer distance, he isn't a fighter, he has no chance of survival in close combat against such powerful opponents. Hunter didn't really have the time to come up with a plan since the orc charged immediately.

The orc flung his weapon vertically, the cheetah sidestepped avoiding the blow just to pin the weapon to the ground as he put his legs on the orc's arm just to leap forward above his enemy head to land behind the orc's back. It didn't went as he planned, as he was in the air the officer somehow managed to slightly fling his heavy shield, it was a slow move, even for a beast like him it was quite a feat to raise such a shield above his head. Unfortunately for the cheetah it was enough, Hunter managed to avoid most of the spikes but one found its mark, the black spike tore his coat and the side of his body leaving a bloody cut on his left side.

Hunter roared in pain but unfortunately for him that wasn't the last of his worries, the ape commander irritated by his constant misses tried a different approach. He charged a shockwave that didn't require a clean hit to be effective, the ape pointed his scepter outwards and released the charged spell. Hunter only grunted when he was hit by the invisible force, he was shot from the sky just to be flicked like he weighted nothing into the nearby rock, the shockwave forced the hero orc to teeter and fight for his balance.

Cracks appeared on the stony surface as Hunter collided with it, he felt as an electric pulse ran through his spine, to make things worse blood started to trickle down the back of his neck, the impact left a cut on the back of his head that was bleeding profusely. Not to mention he had difficulties to let out a single breath, the world swirled before his eyes, the dizziness made him sick.

During his near fainting state he noticed the ape commander approaching him, he couldn't really tell but he thought he was laughing. He saw the ape unsheathing a sword, Hunter tried to pull up but every attempt ended with him hitting the ground, he saw the ape raising his sword and then everything went black, before he lost contact with the world he was glad that at least he was spared the sight of his own death.

* * *

Surprisingly Hunter managed to force his eyes open, through his blurry vision he saw the commander sprawled on the ground in front of him shredded by arrows. He could also hear some muffled sounds coming from the many indistinct forms littering his sight. He couldn't focus on the shapes since soon his vision was once again was shrouded by darkness.

* * *

Hunter opened his eyes again, but this time there was a blurry image of a member of the Atlawa tribe kneeling before him. The lama's green eyes were observing him closely, the cheetah tried to make out some features but the only thing he managed to discern were the tribesmen's whitish wool with a steel blue hue in the middle that ran upwards and circled around the lama's eyes. A pointy mane was situated on the creature's head between two long ears, the mane just like the ears had the same color his wool had, with the steel blue covering the upper side. Hunter could also see the lama's leather armor and a tip of a spear protruding from behind his back, he tried to focus and make out some other details but his eyes were already closing, the last thing he saw was the tribesman waving for someone to approach.

* * *

Hunter's eyes opened yet again just to see nothing else but his avian companion standing before him, the bird looked at him, parted its beak and let out a cry. For the cheetah's dizzied sense it sounded like the most beautiful lullaby, the feline drifted away momentarily.

* * *

When he opened his eyes this time he was in entirely different place, instead of an azure sky a wooden ceiling greeted him. Hunter slowly looked around the room, it looked like the typical bedroom one could find in every village located in the wilderness. A simple closet, a nightstand with a burning candle placed on top of it. There was also a table in his new room with all sorts of medicine laying on its top, starting from simple bandages just to end on some strange looking mixtures.

The sound of an opening door reached his ears, he looked in the direction from which the sound came and saw two female lamas entering the room while laughing cheerfully, one of the females was carrying a bowl. Their laughs ended abruptly when they laid their eyes on him, the female who carried the bowl leaned towards the other one

" Go get Kane" she whispered and the second lama disappeared in an instant.

She smiled as she began approaching the cheetah " Good morning"

Hunter focused his eyes on her form, she was wearing some simple brown pants, a white tank top and an apron on top of it. A khaki wool covered her body which turned more crimson around her red eyes

" Who are you?" Hunter asked in a muffled tone

She giggled while placing the bowl on the table " Don't worry I'm not some sort of a guide who wants to take you to Werint"

" Werint?" the feline repeated the unknown name, he also noticed crimson stripes of wool on her mostly khaki arms, the crimson color also covered the top of her ears

" That's right I've forgot completely" she kneeled next to his bed " You are not familiar with our customs" she placed her hand on his forehead

Hunter surprisingly relaxed under her touch, he began to examine his surroundings " Where am I?"

She smiled, stood up and approached the recently placed bowl " You are safe" she uncorked a bottle and filled the bowl with its contents before mixing the substance with a spoon. After a short while she poured the mixture into a mug and turned towards the cheetah

" Welcome in Atlawa territory" she announced

Hunter adopted an alarmed look, he only had brief dealings with the lamas before, or more likely the dragons had, he only observed the creatures from a distance. He only heard rumors about the Atlawa, that despite their peaceful nature they are barbaric people who worship strange gods and commit all kind of atrocities in their name.

He is far more open minded than any cheetah but that doesn't mean he can just ignore the knowledge his tutors passed onto him, specifically the lessons about rumors, his tutors always repeated that they always hide some truth. They always told him that uncertainty means usually danger, that was enough to make him cautious, not to mention that he was now deep within Atlawa lands.

Remembering his lessons Hunter narrowed his eyes on the cup " What is it?" he asked with palpable alarm in his voice as the lama was approaching him with the strange concoction.

" Poison" she replied without any emotion in her voice, just right after he finished his sentence

Hunter's eyes shot wide open, he began to wiggle in the bed just to get as far as possible from her but he just couldn't his strength left him completely. " Don't come any closer"

The lama dropped to her knees right next to the bed, placed the mug on the ground and threw her arms upwards while staring at the ceiling " Oh great Werint hear your humble servant!" she exclaimed

He started to thrash more fiercely, being defenseless right next to such crazy girl triggered more fear in him than the earlier fight with the orc and the ape.

" I present you this sacrifice! Feast on his life force and let us seep from your glory for all eternity!" she squealed while pulling her ears down before dropping her head onto the sheets.

The bed shook slightly when her head hit the sheets, he DEFINIATELY needs to get out of here, the girl is clearly out of her mind, the rumors are true after all. Groaning Hunter began to pull himself up, the adrenaline pulsing through his veins allowed him to push himself to a sitting position despite his lack of strength.

" Relax!" she exclaimed and pushed him onto the bed once again, while still holding his shoulders she grinned and looked him straight in the eyes " I'm just messing with you" she giggled

Hunter panted, he tried to shake her off but couldn't, the simple move tired him completely, without nothing else to do he looked into her red eyes. Surprisingly they weren't filled with evilness or craziness, they were radiating kindness, happiness and youthful jauntiness. Just looking into her eyes calmed him.

" Why would you do that?" he finally asked when his breathing returned to normal

" You sure ask a lot of questions" she pulled away from him " I saw that glow in your eyes, I had dealings with dragons before I can recognize it. You thought that I'm some crazy chick wanting to eat you or something" she reached down

Seeing her eyes from up close he just couldn't help himself but to feel guilty " I'm sorry, I didn't want to offend you"

She stood up " Don't sweat it" she offered the mug to him " Bottoms up!"

Hunter curled his nose, even if the female really seems to be a kind person his instinct still warn him to not touch the unknown " No thank you, I'm not thirsty" he replied, perfectly hiding his cautiousness

She raised her brows in sincere awe " Niiiice you are making progress, you tell me to bug off without being rude" she raised her thumb " Point for you!" she once again offered him the mug " But that doesn't change anything, you still need to drink it"

" It's not necessary, thank you"

" Oh come on! It will get you back on your feet. Promise!"

Hunter delicately leaned away from her " I already feel better"

She placed one of her hands on her hip " I can see that, you again try to run." she sighed " Ok we will do it like this, either you are going to drink it yourself or I'm going to shove it down your throat"

He considered his options, the lama didn't see like the aggressive type, he was quite certain that she is bluffing " I'm sorry but I still have to decline"

" Damn!" she stomped her foot and leaned closer towards the cheetah " I wasn't really intimidating was I?"

Hunter's eyes widened when seeing her reaction, he didn't say a word, he just shook his head

The female snorted " Every single time" with a shook of her head she straightened up " What would convince you to change your mind…" she mused loudly, after a while her eyes widened " I KNOW!" Hunter jumped slightly on his bed after her sudden squealing shout " What if I'll take a sip first? That way you will see that it isn't poison or anything. What do you think?"

" Ummm… that's a good idea but…"

The lama bounced happily " YAY!" after her shout of happiness she adopted a more serious posture and raised the mug " Ok here goes!" she dipped her lips and as soon as the mixture flew down her throat her face curled in abhorrence " By the gods" she muttered in disgust " This is horrible! And here I thought people were complaining only because they wanted to make fun of me. Ugh. I need to really work on the taste"

She shrugged and smiled " Anyway your turn now! Now when you think of it this thing can't be poison right? If I wanted to kill you I would give you something far more sweeter" she offered the mug again " Here you go"

The lama had a point he couldn't deny it, if she really wanted to poison him she wouldn't try to force him to drink something disgusting. And if she wasn't acting then that was truly medicine, and medicine usually has a bitter taste, he learned it the hard way. Hunter took the cup from the lama's hands and sniffed the mixture, surprisingly it didn't have any scent at all. With a sigh he moved the mug towards his lips.

" A word of advice before you drink it!" she blurt out, Hunter looked at her surprised.

The female giggled " I shouldn't say anything since I've made this potion but you should drink it all at once, don't take any sips just drink it. This thing is disgusting, and I mean REALLY disgusting, so…" she clapped her hands and smiled " Bottoms up!"

Hunter regrets it already, but he had to do it otherwise he really doubts that she would stop pestering him. With a breath he poured the mixture into his mouth and swallowed

" And, and, and?" the lama blurt out excitedly while staring at him closely with her fingers crossed in front of her face

Firstly he couldn't feel anything, but after some seconds the most disgusting taste invaded his palate, stomach and all the other parts of his body responsible for digesting liquids. Momentarily he began to gag.

" Bowl!" she exclaimed in horror " Bowl, bowl, bowl" she repeated quickly while looking around the room, after a while she grabbed the bowl which she brought here moments ago, emptied it through the window and offered it to the feline.

With one of his hands covering his mouth,he motioned for her to stop with the other one while shaking his head. After a few more gags everything returned to normal. Hunter exhaled a breath of relief.

" Delicious" he smiled weakly

" You didn't throw up!" the lama threw her hands up, the bowl hit the ground with an audible clatter

" You look surprised"

" Of course I am surprised! Everyone who drank this potion threw up soon after, firstly I've thought that they are overreacting but it happened to EVERYONE! But you…you managed to hold up" her tail waggled happily " I'm making progress! And here I thought that I used the wrong ingredients"

Hunter narrowed his eyes on her " You want to tell me that you are a healer who doesn't know what she is doing and is experimenting on her patients?" he sighed " A comforting thought"

" Oh no, no, no" she shook her head " I'm not a healer, I just love mixing stuff and see if it works. Since nobody here wants to test my products you volunteered"

" I don't remember that I volunteered for anything"

" Or they volunteered you when you were knocked out. Doesn't matter, it works! And that's what's important!"

" You were sent here to experiment on me?" Hunter blurt out indignantly

She raised her hands defensively " No! Nothing like that! I aspire to be a healer you see, but I also love making all kinds of healing potions and since all of my mixtures were failures until now, Kane forbade me from testing them on our people, but since you are not one of us…ummm…yeah"

" That is experimenting" he replied coldly

She bit her lip and folded her arms behind her back " But you feel good right? It seemed to work…but ok I shouldn't have done this" she chuckled softly and shrugged " Sorry?"

Hunter shook his head, he couldn't believe his own ears, however somehow she managed to help him recover " So it seems I'm lucky that you have a natural talent for healing"

" Talent?" she scoffed " I suck" she leaned closer " Between you and me I have no idea what effects the potion I gave you has, I wanted it to be rejuvenating but you know…" she smiled with a shrug " I suck"

Hunter sighed deeply " Just drop it" he narrowed his eyes on the lama when she suddenly kneeled next to his bed " What are you doing?"

" Questions, questions, relax I need to check you out" she cupped his head in her hands " I've mastered the basics don't worry" with a grin she delicately moved his head to one side " Does it hurt?"

" No"

She began to move his head to the other side, when their eyes met she smiled kindly. He knew her only for a while, she seemed to be infantile but there was something to her that made his heart pump blood faster.

" Nothing" Hunter said when his head was moved to the other side, anticipating her question

She let go of his head " Great, your spine seems to be fine, now I need to check out your senses" she suddenly pressed her forearm to his nose " Sniff"

Hunter eyes widened when her soft wool touched his nose, to say that she is impulsive doesn't give her all the credit. However he did as he was told, her wool brushed his nose. Besides the delicate scent of a female, he could also smell an intense scent of someone who was hard working and didn't have the time to properly clean himself, yet out of politeness he decided to conceal the fact.

" You smell nice"

The lama smiled " How nice of you to lie to me like that but I exactly know how I smell" she withdrew her forearm and sniffed it herself, her nose curled in disgust " Gods I stink! That's what happens when you spend all day in the fields and don't even find the time for a proper bath" she sniffed her forearm again " Ugh"

She clapped her hands " Anyway since you can hear and see me I say your other senses are fine, despite the fact that you threw yourself at the whole contingent of enemies who just tossed you like a ragdoll"

" Somebody had to stop them" he replied confidently

" Yeah I know, but ALONE? I've seen what you did to some of them, pretty amazing but stupid nonetheless" she giggled " Who I am to judge? I'm not perfectly sane myself, besides someone will lecture you soon enough"

" Who?"

She waved her finger " Oh no, no, no, it doesn't work this way. Now it's my turn to ask questions" she dropped to her knees, placed her elbows on the sheets of the bed just to rest her chin on her palms while observing the cheetah intently " You must be really tough to be able to survive such beating, how did you manage to withstand so much pain?"

Hunter impulsively touched his wounded arm " Years of training and fighting teach you resilience"

" You are being taught to fight as a child?"

" Yes"

The lama frowned " That sucks, it leaves no room for true childhood"

Hunter frowned also, he wasn't really following the cheetahs traditions himself, but to hear someone mocking his people way of life was irritating " This is a dangerous world, if you won't prepare to face its dangers you will fall"

" Whoa, I've accidently found a soft spot" she smiled " Change of topic. All of you are so fluffy?"

" Fluffy?" he repeated confused

" Yeah, fluffy. I know that this is a stupid question but I've never seen a cheetah before, I don't know where to start"

Hunter's eyes widened " I am the first cheetah you see?"

She waved her finger threateningly " Hey don't forget that it is my turn now" she scolded him " But yeah, you are my first so to speak. Don't look at me like that, I've lived here all my life"

He pitied her, he was so close to share her fate, but he followed the dragons, abandoning all the traditions he was taught from childhood. To not be able to see the wonders of the outside world, a cruel path he was so close on following all those years ago.

" I'm sorry, I can only imagine how hard it had to be for you"

For the first time he saw her sincerely irritated " Sorry? For what? Maybe I didn't see the world but I lived a happy and interesting life here. There is always something to do in the jungle"

At least now Hunter knows they both have one thing in common- both of them respect the customs of their own people, no matter how far they stray for them " I shouldn't say anything"

" Don't sweat it" she smiled and tenderly touched his wounded arm, where now a fresh bandage could be seen " Freedom comes with a price, I can only imagine how it had to hurt, you are basically injured from top to bottom, luckily the cut on your head wasn't a deep one" she looked at him with shimmering kindness in her eyes as if she tried to force him to stop thinking about the bad things that happened recently " Wanna see how good I am at bandaging?"

Hunter smiled " Sure, why not"

She grinned " Sec" with that she jumped from the bed and rummaged through the room, moments later she approached him carrying a mirror " And?"

He looked at his reflection, there was nothing special in the way she bandaged, one thing that he really noticed was the fresh material wrapped around his head. This was a very painful mission " Thank you for patching me up"

She withdrew the mirror " And it's been a looooot of work let me tell you, especially down here" she grabbed the sheets and flicked them to the side revealing his bandaged chest. The lama delicately ran her fingers across his bandages " Didn't they tell you that a cat should avoid a dog? Still it healed pretty well thanks to that thing in your bags, you have some amazing stuff there. How did you make it?"

Surprisingly Hunter didn't try to get away, something in her touch took all the pain away " I didn't make it, it's the work of our healer"

" I had to use plenty of that stuff, you were wounded absolutely everywhere" she grinned " You know what's the best part of this job? I got to strip you naked" she beamed proudly

Hunter blushed " Oh…is…is that so?"

" Yeah! And I've checked every part, you know you have to be thorough when it comes to healing"

He didn't say a word, he just laid there without even looking at her

The lama laughed " Relax I didn't go below the waist"

He looked at her, his blush slightly fading " I see"

She shrugged " I only took a peek"

His blush returned with greater intensity " This is embarrassing"

The lama burst out laughing " You are so serious! I'm kidding, I'm not perverted" she patted his chest " Cheer up!"

Hunter groaned in pain, she gasped and covered her mouth with one hand " Oh I'm sorry!" she muttered still giggling while she massaged his wounded abdomen with her free hand " I didn't mean to hurt you"

The cheetah looked at her, and when he noticed her chuckling face he just couldn't help himself but to start laughing with her. They both were so lost in glee that they didn't even hear the door opening

" I see Nilla that your attitude is already affecting our guest here" a male voice echoed throughout the room

Startled she pulled the sheets over the cheetah's chest and instantly jumped to her feet " Kane don't sneak like that! I've almost had an heart attack"

The male lama smiled and began to approach the bed " How is he feeling?"

Nilla pointed at the cheetah with her open hand " Ask him yourself, but you better hurry since he loves questions himself" with that she began to pack her things

Kane stopped just next to Hunter's bed and watched him carefully, he didn't say a word until he heard the door opening " What is your name?"

Before he could answer his eyes traveled towards the door where the girl dropped a mug on the ground, he saw her picking it up and cleaning it with her apron. She was taking her time, the lama was really giving much attention to the mug, just like she tried to make it shine. The feline eventually focused on the male next to him

" Hunter" he introduced himself, his eyes again traveled to the now closing doors, the female lama was gone

" I'm Kane" the cheetah's eyes returned to the male lama

Hunter narrowed his eyes on the tribesmen, he was certain that he saw the lama kneeling before him when he struggled with dizziness. The hue of his wool a clear sign of that, white color with a steel blue pattern as an addition, it seems his avian companion managed to lead the leader of the Atlawa to him.

" Nilla worships the god Ummers, his disciples cherish happiness among other things. The glee together with her jauntiness makes her rather eccentric and tiresome at times"

The cheetah chuckled " She is alright"

Kane took a deep breath " Tell me Hunter, are you suicidal?"

He was surprised by the lama's sudden change of topic and overall mood, yet he didn't betray his sock" No"

Kane huffed " Yet we found you fighting alone two Dark officers. If your bird wouldn't lead us to you, you would be Muril's snack by now"

Hunter furrowed a brow " Muril?"

" Cowardly creatures which feed on dead and weak" the lama shook his head " Unimportant" with that he narrowed his fierce gaze on the feline " Why did you attack the whole group?"

" Because they were a threat to safety of innocent beings"

Kane sighed " You cheetahs are so short-sighted, you don't respect life"

Hunter growled, there was something in the lama's tone that he didn't like very much " We are trained from our earliest years to fight, it's our duty to protect the ones who can't protect themselves"

" And by doing so you stand against superior numbers. Sorry Hunter but this is pure waste"

" Then you propose to allow the next group that slips through roam freely through your territory?

" Of course not, but you are missing the point. Vanquish the enemy when you have the chance, but don't blindly pursue them or you might get yourself killed"

" That is the fate of every warrior"

Kane shook his head disappointed " When you cheetahs will finally see the big picture. By letting yourselves get killed you waste your extraordinary skills which in the future might save even more lives"

" The present is important, not what will happen tomorrow"

" This is going nowhere, you are just like the rest of your kind." Kane exhaled a breath " What are you doing here?, I don't remember calling for help"

Hunter frowned " You've sent two of your people to Warfang seeking assistance so stop pretending like you don't know anything"

Kane nodded " Yes I did send my men to the Dragon City, but they didn't seek the Guardian's assistance. I've sent them for Spyro, his tribe needed him"

Hunter knew the story, Spyro after saving the Atlawa from Cynder's forces was to be worshipped by the lamas as a god yet he declined. Kane trying to show how grateful he and his people are made Spyro a member of his tribe, with or without the young dragon's consent.

" Spyro couldn't make it so I took his place"

" They shouldn't have sent you. Atlawa business is for Atlawa only but since you are already here…" Kane reached down his pocket and withdrew a small dark red crystal, he threw the gem towards the cat " Here, take it, I know that Spyro has a talent for solving troubles and mysteries"

Hunter grabbed the crystal with ease and examined it, it had a dark bleak green color, as he turned it around he noticed a drop of dried blood on its back. There was something familiar about the gem, he could swear he saw it somewhere " Where did you get it?"

" The hero orc carried it"

The cheetah nodded " Thank you"

The lama returned the gesture and made his way towards the door " I don't want to sound rude but when you will feel better I want you to move on, we will of course escort you to the border." Kane opened the door " Don't forget to take that bird with you, it's scaring my people" the door closed

* * *

Some days later Hunter emerged outside, fully dressed into his now sewn clothes with a falcon sitting on his shoulder. He took a deep breath, how nice it was again to feel the fresh air, as he opened his eyes he noticed the familiar female lama standing before him with her thumbs hidden inside her pockets.

Nilla smiled at him, yet it wasn't the same beaming smile he got used to " Leaving already?"

" Yes, I'm sure they are getting worried in Warfang" he smiled " Thank you again for taking care of me, the potion seemed to work"

She averted her gaze " I'm glad"

" Let's go Hunter!" Kane yelled from further down the road " Time is of the essence!"

The cheetah nodded " Best of luck in your experiments"

Nilla smiled and went her own way without saying a word

Hunter joined his escort and the group made their way slowly towards the thick jungle, as his legs carried him onwards Hunter couldn't help himself but to look behind his shoulder.

They've been marching for some days now, mostly in silence. He didn't know much about the Atlawa, people said they are strange and mostly keep to themselves. Which is true, but even in such a secluded community there are people who stand out from the typical superstitions. His reflection was ended abruptly by Kane's raised fist, the group halted instantly.

Hunter could hear something ahead, many creatures were not far from their position, they didn't notice them yet, their chaotic movements proved that. The group sneaked forward with their weapons at the ready, Kane signaled for the rest of the team to split and take flanking positions. He, Hunter and some other lamas pressed forward.

After they've peeked from their cover a gruesome scene welcomed them. Blood drenched the green ground, lots and lots of blood, bones were scattered all around the place, pieces of flesh were still hanging from some of them. There were also bodies of three dead dragons, their bellies ripped open, entrails laying on the ground, parts of their bodies ripped off to the bone.

Perpetrators of this scene were some small goblin like creatures, with huge eyes and scaly hides, they were jumping all around the places with their maws drenched with blood and pieces of flesh. Dead bodies were laying everywhere, Hunter figured out that this have be the Muril's Kane spoken about. He strung his bow but Kane with a motion of his hand ordered him to lower it.

The lama unstrapped a horn from his belt and blew it, the creatures screeched in horror and scattered in every direction. Kane stood up and approached the massacre carefully examining the scene.

" What happened here?" the lama muttered under his breath

Hunter with his scout's instinct fallowed in the lama's wake, firstly he approached the fallen dragons, their bodies didn't have any visible mortal wound, but something killed them. His eyes traveled across the drake's body until he spotted the odd angle of the dragon's head. The drake had a broken neck, he examined the rest of the draconic bodies, all of them had broken necks. It was strange, dragons are known from their powerfully built bones, to break their necks they would have to fly straight into an obstacle headlong without even trying to slow down.

He moved then towards the pile of bones, he crouched and tenderly poked the remains with a stick. He frowned, he could tell from the remains that the creature was just about his height and nothing else, the bones didn't resemble any being he was familiar with.

He tenderly picked up a bone, looking for a way to understand this mystery, as he turned the bone in his hand a red drop appeared on its surface. He ran his finger across the drop and rubbed it between his thumb- blood and a fresh one at that. Another drop appeared on the bone, they seemed to be coming from nowhere, momentarily another one splattered on the bone's surface. The drops were clearly falling from above, Hunter looked up and his eyes widened in shock.

He dropped the bone " Kane! I need help over here!" the cheetah yelled at the top of his lungs


	30. Chapter 12 Book II

Chapter 12

Tireless labor of the two brothers granted the many inhabitants of the Dragon Realms the opportunity to carry on with their more or less mundane lives. Between the constant changes of vigil of the sun and moon a caravan was slowly rolling down through one of the trade routes connecting Warfang and the moles capital city the Munitions Forge. Fours oxen were pushing the caravan forward, with a single mole directing the animals.

The caravan consisted of two long wagons which were filled with all kinds of different metals from the rich mine depths of the Munitions Forge to be traded for food and medicine, resources that the moles barren land couldn't produce. Now the two wagons were being also occupied by four other creatures that joined the mole in his way back to the capital city. One wagon consisted of packed food and a purple and black dragon, the other one filled with medicine housed an oddly looking fire drake and a glowing dragonfly.

As the caravan slowly rolled onwards the hatch on the second wagon's upper part opened and a dragonfly emerged through it.

" I'M BORED!" Sparx exclaimed, his shout had a whiny tone to it

The mole leading the caravan and the two dragons in the first wagon rolled their eyes, when the two males looked only tired as if they heard the same thing over and over again, the female black dragon on the other hand had a mixture of tiredness and irritation plastered on her snout. With a soft growl she pushed the hatch open and climbed on top of the wagon

" Will you shut up already?" Cynder growled at the dragonfly " You are giving us a headache!"

" But that's the truth!" Sparx whined " Why can't we just fly there?"

" Now you are so eager to do something all of a sudden?"

The dragonfly yawned " Whatever, think what you want, now crawl back into the wagon Naughty, you are ruining my fresh air"

Cynder snarled " Say it again"

A fiery drake burst through the hatch but the dragonfly didn't budge, he was entirely concentrated on the dragoness ahead " Crawl back into your hole Naughty" he pronounced each word slowly in a provoking manner

Her claws delicately scratched the wooden surface of the wagon " I'm warning you" she hissed threateningly

Sparx raised his hand and mimicked her mouth yapping " Blah, blah, blah"

" That's it!" she roared and wanted to pounce at the dragonfly but her attempt was stopped by someone pulling her tail

" Cynder just leave him alone" Spyro said as he emerged through the recently used opening

The dragoness growled " Let me go and I'll make life easier for both of us"

" Just ignore him and he will stop"

After a moment of silent staring at her prey she finally snorted " Fine" her posture relaxed a bit

He let go off her tail seeing her reaction " You will see, it will work"

Sparx smirked and took a deep breath " I'M BORED!" he exclaimed at the top of his lungs

" You are dead!" Cynder roared and pounced at the dragonfly

Spyro sighed

" You've gathered an interesting team my friend" the mole's voice caught his attention

Spyro sat next to the caravan master " A team like any other, if you can even call us like that. We are just bunch of friends, nothing special"

The mole laughed " Please, modesty doesn't fit here. A dragonfly, you as a Savior, the odd drake and Shadow herself, and you want to tell me there is nothing special about you?"

" We just do what we need to do"

The mole shook his head " No, that is my job, you do something far more greater and I have a feeling that you'll do even more in the days to come"

" You are mine now!" both Spyro and the mole ducked when they heard the female shout, momentarily Sparx darted above their heads with Cynder right behind him.

Both the dragon and the mole straightened up casually like nothing ever happened, just like they've done this countless times before

" But honestly I have no idea how can you stand those two" the caravan master continued

Spyro chuckled " After a while you get used to it"

The mole laughed " I see"

" They usually just keep to snide remarks, this trip is weary on all of us"

The rodent nodded " Can't argue with that" he motioned with his head towards the oxen " At least one of us is having fun"

Spyro followed the mole's direction and smiled when he spotted Flare walking next to the animals clumsily mimicking their moves " Yeah"

" Forgive my inquisitiveness but what kind of creature is he exactly?"

Spyro observed his new companion carefully " He is a dragon, there is no doubt about that, he just looks different"

" If he is a dragon then what has happened to him? I've never seen such a dragon before"

" You and me both, honestly I have no idea why he looks like that, I doubt he does either. Maybe he was born that way"

The mole raised an eyebrow " A half-breed? Is that even possible?"

Spyro shrugged " I dunno, Volteer firstly thought that he has an avian lineage but this is a very unlikely scenario, his second guess was that Flare's appearance is a result of an evolution or something"

" A bird? He has lizard eyes if you ask me"

Spyro frowned, the mole might be right, just like Volteer. Wherever the truth may lay one thing was certain, both their theories were just a tiny drop in a river full of possibilities

" Your guess is as good as mine" the dragon commented somewhat sadly, yet not without his natural curiosity hiding somewhere in his tone

" Whatever his heritage is he still is an unique creature, one can only wonder why is he basically burning"

Spyro observed his fiery companion, there was definitely a story behind his naivety and odd reactions. Impulsively his mind raced through every troubling event, starting with Cynder's strange behavior, then the veil near Boven with the golem just to stop on the bug-like creature of Munitions Forge.

" One problem at a time" Spyro muttered thoughtfully

" I pity you, there seems to be a lot on your shoulders" the mole looked at the fiery dragon and the two figures flying above " Perhaps to solve such strange riddles special measures are required"

The purple dragon sighed, the rodent most likely was right, yet no matter how big his group may become he really wished they wouldn't have any role to play in the future events. There was only one way to find out

" How long till we get to Munitions Forge?"

" A few more days" the caravan master grinned as if trying to lighten the mood " Just enjoy the ride"

Spyro chuckled " We will do just that"

There was a sudden yelp behind them, they turned around just to see the dragonfly spinning wildly down from the air towards the ground just like a gust of wind blown him from the sky, a black dragoness was speeding after him. Instead of hitting the ground Sparx fell through the hatch of the second wagon, there was a rumbling sound when he collided with its wooden surface.

Cynder landed on top of the wagon and peered inside with an evil grin " We will see how will you like this" she began preparing a delicate wind breath

Her attempt was interrupted by a brown powder bursting through the hatch that Cynder involuntary inhaled. Her eyes watered instantly as the powder began tickling her nose intensely, she couldn't control her reaction. The powder caused her to sneeze while accidently powering her elemental attack, she accidently released the gust of wind straight into the opened hatch.

The power of the breath caused the wagon to jump and emit a loud howl and rumble. The oxen after hearing the noise cried startled and darted forward dragging the caravan behind them, for such typical slow creatures thy still managed to speed up the caravan thanks to their strength.

" What are you doing? What have I done wrong?" Flare exclaimed shocked after the scuttling animals

" Easy now! Easy!" the mole yelled trying to calm the rushing animals while batting the reins

The oxen didn't listen, they tossed the caravan from side to side. The moment the animals made a sharp turn the whole caravan was forcefully yanked to one side. Cynder couldn't keep her balance, the strong shake of the wagon threw her off her paws and with a yelp she rolled right into the opened hatch.

Spyro wasn't lucky either, with a similar startled yelp he was thrown from the caravan, only his reflex saved him from being shot completely off the wagon. The moment he rolled from its wooden surface he latched onto its wooden edge with his claws. The dragon's hind paws were thrashing desperately looking for a foothold while his tail kept swinging wildly, its uncontrolled moves were a clear signal just how fast the caravan raced through the road.

" Easy! Easy!" the mole kept repeating the same words yet to no avail, the animals just didn't listen.

Spyro grunting began to pull himself up but then the caravan made another sharp turn, not only did he slid back down but also the turn pulled his body away from the surface of the wagon, his sunken claws into the boards kept him from falling, for a brief moment he fluttered just like a flag. Everything returned back to normal when the animals began to pull the caravan in a straight line again. The change of direction slammed his body into the wagon's wooden surface, with a groan Spyro realized that he just returned to the starting position.

The mole tried his best to calm the animals but they just didn't want to stop. When the rodent thought that they have to brace themselves for another sharp turn a fireball exploded just right before the racing oxen.

The animals cried, their hooves sank into the ground making dust shoot in the air as the creatures slowed down dragging their hooves across the ground. Yet it was still enough to swing the caravan like it weighted nothing, the oxen prepared to renew their run but were unable to since one of the wheels of the caravan got buried in the earth. The oxen pulled and pulled but were unable to move the caravan, after a while the animals lost much of their strength and calmed on their own.

" You guys are ok?" Flare shouted when he began to descend from the sky

The mole exhaled a breath of relief and wiped his forehead " Nice job kid, finally it's over"

" What happened?"

The caravan master looked behind himself with an angry frown where two heads prtotruding from the hatch of the second wagon belonging to a black dragoness and a dragonfly could be seen " I don't even have the patience to explain this" he hissed

Cynder and Sparx turned to face the mole when they heard his voice, the moment they saw his furious stare both of them averted their gaze and lowered their heads in shame.

Spyro with a grunt pulled himself up so just his head protruded from the cover, when he noticed the mole's meaningful stare he cackled nervously " Sorry"

The caravan master snorted " There was a reason I signed to be a merchant, I hope this is the first and last such action"

The purple dragon nodded confidently " Nothing like that will happen again. Promise"

* * *

" WHAT ON EVERYTHING THAT'S HOLY IS THIS?!" the mole screamed furiously when he looked inside the second wagon

The inside of the wagon didn't resemble the interior he once knew, the walls, floor, basically every wooden surface was covered with all kinds of herbs, ointments and who know what else. The grimace on his snout deepened when he spotted that some of the bags of medicine were torn apart, some flasks were empty with their contents spilled all over the place.

" WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT TOUCHING THE MERCHANDISE?!" the rodent screamed again

In the middle of the chaos stood a sole fire dragon with his body, paws and claws covered in the same kind of odd mix like the whole wagon was. Flare bent on his paws, lowered his head just like a guilty dog and looked at the mole with puppy eyes

" Don't give me that look!" the rodent snarled before the dragon could utter a single word

" What is going on here?" a male shout echoed from behind the mole

Momentarily two dragons appeared behind the mole, their eyes widened when they noticed the havoc inside

Cynder put her head inside the wagon " Flare what did you do?" she muttered while looking around the interior surprised

" I-"

" This is not what I've expected when I took you with me!" the mole snapped

" What's this noise all about?" another male shout reached the group, soon the hatch opened and a dragonfly peered inside the wagon " Whoa" Sparx eyes widened " Dude I didn't know you had a knack for painting" he flew inside

" But-"

" This is medicine, you weren't supposed to touch it. Didn't I make myself clear when I took you with me?" the mole almost growled

" Yes, but-"

" These are TRADING GOODS!" the rodent snapped furiously making the dragons behind him jump startled " I was supposed to bring them intact!"

" Sorry I-"

" This is my job! Every delay, every mistake costs me!"

" We'll cover the loses" Spyro interjected

" HOW?! You'll friend will fart out a golden egg suddenly?!"

" Hey!" Cynder blurt out offended, but the moment she saw the mole's hateful gaze on her she decided to remain silent, knowing that she deserved it after her earlier action with Sparx.

" You missed a spot here" Sparx announced casually while pointing at a place where a tiny bit of wood was spared the gruesome fate.

The mole clenched his fists and gave the dragonfly a murderous stare

" Not now Sparx" Spyro muttered through clenched teeth

The dragonfly shook his head " No appreciation for art"

" Sparx!" the purple dragon admonished his brother when he noticed the mole turn red from anger

" Flare you have to explain yourself" Cynder interjected seeing as the situation was slowly getting out of paws

The fiery drake bent on his legs even further under the weight of so many eyes on him " I t-t-t-though that t-t-t-this-"

" Are you kidding me?" the mole exclaimed in disbelief interrupting the dragon's barely coherent stutter

" Flare stammers when he is nervous" Cynder explained the situation

" I can't believe this" the rodent muttered while turning to the fiery drake " This doesn't change anything, I still want to know why you did this kid" the caravan master addressed the dragon in a more calmer tone as if in understanding

The red drake swallowed " After t-t-t-that situation with your a-a-animals I wanted to c-c-cheer you up"

" And to do this you ruined my merchandise along with my wagon?!"

" Don't bright colors make people happy?"

The mole stared at the dragon as he processed the unexpected revelation" Maybe… they do, I don't know, what does that have to do with you ruining my stuff anyway?"

" Laughter is the best medicine right?" Flare nodded towards one of the destroyed bags with the herbs " This is medicine so together with bright colors-"

"WHAT?" the rodent exclaimed " You want to tell me that you thought that by covering my wagon with all this stuff you are going to make me laugh? You took the idiom literally? Are you INSANE?"

Flare's eyes widened after the mole's outburst, he lowered his head intimidated "B-b-b-but I've h-h-h-heard-"

" This kind of medicine doesn't make you laugh! Where do you get your ideas?"

Flare bashfully pointed a claw at the dragonfly

Cynder rolled her eyes " Figures"

Sparx threw his arms aside as if in confusion " What? I've only said that laughter and bright colors make people happy. I'm not responsible for the rest"

" You are!" the dragoness snarled " You exactly know how Flare misinterprets idioms and the like!"

The dragonfly shrugged " Not my fault"

" Don't you have a brain kid?" the mole blurt out

" He is not stupid, it's just that…" Cynder's voice trailed off as she looked for proper words " It's hard to explain" she sighed " One thing is for certain, Sparx took advantage of it"

" Hey, hey, hey!" the dragonfly protested " Don't you put it all on me!"

" Enough!" the mole exclaimed " You two" he pointed at the dragonfly and the red dragon " Get out of here and get inside the first wagon! I don't want you around the medicine. Spyro and his friend will take this one" the mole turned towards the exit, as he was leaving he threw the purple dragon a meaningful look

Spyro scratched the back of his head with a bashful smile " Sorry"

* * *

" It's awfully quiet in there" the caravan master muttered interrupting the sound of clicking hooves.

Spyro impulsively looked behind his shoulder, besides Cynder sprawled on top of the second wagon bathing in the sunlight there was no one else there. He turned towards the road with a sour expression, he had a bad feeling about this.

" They are sleeping probably" he lied to the mole

The rodent frowned " I think it was a bad idea to move them to a wagon full of food. Was it a bad idea?" he voiced the question quickly, as if thinking loudly

" _Yes"_ Spyro mused " No" he presented the mole another lie

" What if they are ruining my second wagon as well?"

" I'm sure they've learnt their lesson" he felt terrible lying to the person who in all his kindness spared them the strenuous flight but it was the only way to give the mole some comfort

The caravan master went silent for a while " I don't like this" he stated after moments of wordless contemplation.

" Everything is all right"

Again silence, then suddenly the mole stopped the caravan " I'll better check it out" he made his way towards the hatch

Spyro despite his better judgment followed the mole. The hatch opened and both of them peeked inside. Exactly in the middle of the wagon on his back lied Flare, snoring, the dragonfly was nowhere to be seen.

The sun rays penetrated the wagon and shone on the red dragon's snout interrupting his peaceful slumber. Clicking his tongue Flare opened his eyes and smiled when he spotted two of his companions up above

" Thanks for the gift" he yawned while stretching " That was very nice of you"

" Gift?" the mole repeated the single word surprised and somewhat scared " What kind of gift?"

" Oh no" Spyro muttered under his breath

Flare sat up with a grin " Oh no, no, no, you aren't going to trick me, I know what a BOG is-"

" What is he talking about?" the mole whispered to the purple dragon next to him, looking for some kind of answer

Spyro only shrugged

"…that's a very nice tradition, I like it" Flare finished his sentence preserving the same cheerful tone

The rodent entered the wagon tired of this game " Show me this BOG or whatever, I have no idea what it is"

The red dragon chuckled " Ok, I'll play along, Bog stands for bag of redemption-"

" Oh no" Spyro muttered once again, he exactly knew where this is going, he knew only one person who could think of such a stupid name and that means the caravan master won't like the final outcome.

" Bag of redemption?" the mole repeated after the dragon somewhat terrified

" The bag with all the food as a sign of letting bygones be bygones?" Flare replied with a chuckle " The bag of redemption?"

The mole only gave him a confused stare

The fiery drake laughed " Stop acting I've seen through your plan"

Moments later the rodent shook off his confusion, anxiousness and anger taking control " Enough of this game! Tell me what's going on"

Flare jerked back when he heard the mole's outburst " All right, relax" he made his way towards all kind of containers packed with food, he shuffled through some of them until he dragged an empty large bag, crumbs and all other remains of once appetizing looking food fell from it.

The mole's eyes widened at the sight " What have you done?" his lower lip twitched

Flare cocked his head " Come again?"

The rodent bit his finger " Where is the food from the bag?"

The fiery dragon threw a surprised brief glance at the empty bag before he focused on the mole again " I ate it" he announced bluntly

" YOU WHAT?!" the rodent roared furiously

Flare jumped backwards startled " I a-a-a-ate it" he stammered

The mole began to pace around while pulling the fur on his head " Why would you do THAT?! Ruining the medicine wasn't good enough for you?"

" I t-t-t-thought y-y-y-you were t-t-t-trying to a-a-a-apologize"

" ME?!" the rodent blurt out with a cackle, he almost sounded like a madman " It was you who destroyed my wagon!"

Flare swallowed " B-b-b-but the b-b-b-bog?"

" it was a bag filled with trading goods!" he kept roaring at the drake

The red dragon's head fell down in shame " T-t-t-then you w-w-w-weren't t-t-t-trying to r-r-r-redeem y-y-y-yourself?" he stuttered an question yet he already knew the answer

" Redeem myself? For what?"

" For y-y-y-your o-o-o-outburst?'

The mole poked his forehead " Are you hearing yourself kid? You were the one who ruined my wagon! Why on hell would I-" he froze for a while just like a lightning bolt would struck him " Wait. Gift, bag… you thought that I left it here for you? Bag of redemption…" he pointed his finger at the dragon " Yes you did!" he burst out laughing through tears "I can't believe this!"

Flare remained speechless, a blush covering his snout precisely showed how he felt right now.

" A guy ruins my wagon together with my merchandise and I'm the one who should apologize" he emitted a chilling cackle " Dear Ancestors I wouldn't believe this if I heard it from someone else. This is so stupid that I can't even be angry anymore"

" I o-o-o-only w-w-w-wanted to-"

The mole raised his hand stopping the drake's stutter " I don't care, start using your brain kid. I'm done here it's a waste of time anyway" he left the wagon, the moment he climbed onto his driving seat he turned towards the purple dragon " The moment we arrive in Munitions Forge I want you out of my sight, get that dragonfly and the dragon together and tell them they will follow the caravan from now on" he rubbed his forehead " You should really surround yourself with normal people"

" We will pay you for your losses" Spyro tried to soften the atmosphere

" I don't want to hear this" the mole interjected firmly

The purple dragon sighed " Sorry"

* * *

As he sat on top of the wagon he could feel it bouncing slightly as its wheels rolled on the uneven road, the landscape was moving past by his eyes as he stared at the horizon. It didn't really matter that the trip is taking so long, it was peaceful here without any bloodthirsty beasts after his hide but even with this usual serenity the trip on the caravan still had its downsides.

" Not really the most enjoyable travel you imagined it to be huh?" a cheerful female voice he was so accustomed with reached him

Spyro chuckled as he threw a quick glance at the black dragoness sitting right next to him " You could say that"

" It really bothers you doesn't it?"

He sighed " Yeah" he felt guilty about everything that happened recently, the mole took them out of his good will only and they've repaid him like that " I should have done something, this is so wrong"

Cynder snorted " This is your idiot brother we are talking about, nobody can predict what he's up to, not even you"

Spyro eyed his female companion, not really caring who is to blame " You seem to be in a good mood"

" That I am" she beamed

" Really? From a completely casual atmosphere the whole trip turned into an extremely tense journey"

Cynder shrugged " Feels like home"

" It's not so bad in Warfang"

She gave him a meaningful look and smiled " You are a terrible liar. Anyway who would have thought that being Malefor's sidekick will pay off eventually? Now not even a single tension bothers me"

He smiled " I need somehow learn this resilience"

" Easy, we just need to find you an evil guy to follow around" she winked

They both laughed

" What's so funny?" Sparx asked appearing before their eyes

Cynder waved her paw " Oh nothing, we were just discussing your intellect"

" Hilarious" the dragonfly stated bluntly

She laughed

Spyro looked to the side where Flare was following the caravan slowly while looking around his surroundings " You better try to not get spotted by our kind driver he might not like it"

Sparx snorted " Like I care, I'm innocent"

" Of course you are" both dragons replied in unison, seconds later they looked at each other and smiled

He shook his head " Damn bro, she put a spell on you, you better wake up or you will turn crazy" he gave the dragoness a blunt stare " and ugly"

Cynder shrugged " There's a nut for every bolt"

Sparx looked her over " it has to be one hell of a nut"

She followed his gaze and looked at her magenta chest " These are muscles" she smiled

" Of course they are"

Both her and the dragonfly chuckled

" Hey Sparx we are not allowed to do that!" Flare's shout reached the three of them

Not only the three friends heard the red dragon, the mole also turned around and gave the dragonfly an angry stare

Sparx rolled his eyes " Great, The All Seeing Eye is staring at me, should have expected that Flare would give me away"

" You wouldn't have to hide if you only behaved" Spyro admonished his brother

The dragonfly threw his arms aside " Hey man it wasn't me!" he pointed at the fiery drake " That guy did it!"

" Yeah, like I don't know you"

" Why did you do it anyway?" Cynder asked

Sparx shrugged " For fun and…" he threw his brother a challenging look "…to prove that I still got the touch"

" No way" Spyro blurt out " You were taking revenge for that failed prank with the cook?"

He nodded

" That's just stupid" Cynder commented

" No it isn't"

" Yes it is" Spyro agreed with his female friend

Sparx sighed " Dude, you are no fun"

" There is no fun in ruining someone else's property"

" Firstly it isn't ruined, secondly I did it for pure teaching reasons"

" it's still stupid" Cynder once again stated

Sparz waved his hand " Ok I'm tired of you two, no appreciation for art. I'm going back to my favorite dragon, see ya" he flew away towards the fiery dragon

The dragoness watched him talking with their new red companion " Whatever stupid reasons Sparx has for doing the stuff he does it seems he really took a liking to Flare"

Spyro followed her gaze " Looks like it, who would have thought right?"

" The mole is right you know"

" About what?"

" About Flare, I myself don't get how can you not see if you are doing the right thing or wrong, even if you've been trapped your whole life you should be able to see the difference"

" I'm not so sure about that, he doesn't know about the outside world much, he spent his entire life in a single room"

" I don't know, you should at least stop and think for a while. I would, you would"

Spyro averted his gaze " I…I agree"

" I mean, how naïve can you be?"

" Yeah…"

* * *

" _We did it bro!" a dragonfly exclaimed while he was making cheerful flips in the air " WE DID IT!"_

_A young purple dragon pounced on the ground in joy " It's great!" he shouted_

_Both children were pouncing above the swampy ground, the rain was pouring wildly onto the landscape below but it didn't bother the two of them. It was their free time, it was their first time on the rain, their organisms were finally capable of resisting the toxic fumes of their homeland. When the rain started they just couldn't miss such an opportunity and barged into the open from the safety of their home, they remained outside since then, playing in the rainy weather._

" _I feel just awesome!" Spyro roared happily " No headache, no dizziness, I should be laying sick in the bed by now!"_

_Sparx beamed with pride " Didn't I tell you? Rain is just that awesome!"_

" _Dad said that it has nothing to do with rain, it feels so good because our bodies are now able to defend themselves against the fumes"_

" _Blah, blah, blah" the dragonfly rolled his eyes " What can grown-ups know? I tell you it's the rain, have you seen any grown-up happy in the rain?"_

_Spyro stopped in his tracks, he thought about it and came to a conclusion that his brother is right, most of the grown-ups he met complained about the rain " Hey you may be right, even our parents sometimes whine about the rain"_

" _Of course I'm right bro, seriously, when I was wrong the last time?"_

" _When we first got out in the rain you said that the fumes won't harm us"_

_Sparx waved his hand " Not my fault that the elixir didn't work on you"_

_Spyro snorted " Elixir?" It was still juice"_

" _Hey! When I said that I wanted to give you a special brew I really meant it. It was a honest mistake, I took the wrong bottle" Don't look at me like that! I never lie!"_

" _Yeah? Then why did you say that you talked with our Mom back then when in truth you didn't?"_

" _I did! She just had to forget it, she was in a rush that day"_

_His purple brother nodded " Yeah right" he replied sarcastically_

" _Don't believe me? Then look around" Sparx waved his hand across their surroundings " Didn't I tell you that rain also changes the landscape completely?"_

_Spyro looked around, his brother was actually right, the landscape did change, everything was covered in a wet coat, not to mention that the swampy ground obscured parts of the local fauna. He had second thoughts about his brother's words, the landscape had really changed, maybe he wasn't lying just as he says so, maybe everything that they went through earlier was just a consequence of a simple mistake._

" _What now?" Spyro asked excited, finally making his mind_

_Sparx grinned " Now bro we will show people what the rain does, they will look at us from a different perspective after that" he waved his arm in a wide arc " Follow me!"_

_Both foster brothers pranced through their home village, their youthful energy was unending, everything was strange and exciting for them. However even that becomes boring after a while when you don't recharge your power with some playing. The grown-ups mostly didn't understand them, some even dared to scold them for their innocent pranks, yet it didn't bother the two kids, it was their moment of glory._

_Suddenly as they've been making their way through the village Sparx shoved his brother to the side._

" _What are you doing?!" Spyro gasped_

_The dragonfly covered his brother's snout " Shhh!" they hid behind some wet bushes. He pointed his finger ahead " Look"_

_Spyro looked in the way his brother pointed, through the pouring rain he could make out the form of an ordinary house. He threw his brother a confused glance._

_Sparx leaned closer to the purple snout, his yellow hand still covered the dragon's maw " You know what that is? He whispered in a dramatic tone _

_Spyro shook his head_

" _This is the home of the…PLANETAR"_

_The purple dragon furrowed his brow and emitted a muffled sound._

_Sparx with a disgusted groan removed his hand from the dragon's snout and wiped it on his purple scales ' What were you saying?"_

_Spyor licked his mouth " I've asked what is a planetar"_

_The dragonfly placed his palm on his forehead with an audible slap " Dude please" he whined_

_The purple dragon jerked his head back " What?"_

_He shook his head" How long have you been living here? How can you not know what a planetar is?"_

" _Then tell me!" Spyro growled impatiently_

" _Be quiet!" Sparx admonished him with a firm whisper before leaning even more closer " Planetar is a guy who can jump between worlds using some sort of portals"_

_His purple brother stared at him for a while, then out of a sudden he burst out laughing " I'm not falling for that!" This is probably the most stupid thing you had made up ever! Portals!" he snorted " Portals to another worlds don't exist"_

_Sparx frowned indigenously " You would be surprised" he hissed angrily_

" _Let's get out of here" Spyro turned around_

_The dragonfly grabbed his brother's horn " You know the guy who wears all those funny hats?" he pointed at the house " He lives there!"_

_The dragon shrugged " So what?"_

" _Remember when you asked him from where he gets his stuff? What did he tell you?"_

_Spyro opened his mouth to voice some sort of a snide remark but then suddenly realization struck him and his expression turned more serious when he remembered the odd dragonflies' words " From places you will never reach" he quoted _

_Sparx pointed his finger at him " Exactly!"_

" _Then, then if he is a planetar how does he travel between worlds?" Spyro blurt out with an excited and hectic voice_

" _Dude slow down, I saw once how he did it"_

" _How?" he once again blurt out in the same tone_

" _I'll tell you when we find it. Come on!" he waved for the dragon to follow him_

" _Find what?" Spyro began to walk after his brother_

" _Patience bro"_

_Both of them began to move across the street, it was then when they realized that it stopped raining, it made them wonder just for how long they've been talking that they didn't notice the change of weather. Their interest was soon shifted from the shining sun towards the house they began to approach, whatever the planetar's secret is they will soon discover it._

_As they kept sneaking around the house Spyro kept thinking, it all made sense to him now. He knew the dragonfly who lived here, he always wears some strange hats that nobody else does, not to mention that he never saw the inside of his home since the curtains were constantly dragged across the windows. Not to mention that he rarely sees the dragonfly at all, only all the reason to believe that he truly travels between worlds._

_The dragon's excitement grew even bigger when Sparx motioned for him to stop since he found an open window. Spyro nodded, he knew exactly what to do, he lowered on his paws and moved towards the window while Sparx flew inside through the small crack. The dragon pressed his body to the wall and began to scan the surroundings while waiting impatiently for his brother to give a signal that the house is clear._

_Soon the dragonflies' arm emerged through the crack and motioned for Spyro to enter, he did exactly what he was told. When his claws clicked on the floor of the planetar's house Spyro began to look around with wide eyes._

" _Look at this" he exhaled a breath of awe " What is this stuff?" the house was filled with strange vases, statues and all other strange stuff that he has never seen before_

" _Hell if I know"_

" _Maybe he brought all of this from another world?"_

_Sparx paid no interest to the things surrounding him " I don't know man" his eyes stopped on a door " But we better find that portal before the guy comes back" he flew towards them_

_Spyro followed him, the brothers entered a very dark room " I can't see anything" the dragon whispered_

" _Sec" the glowing shape began to float all around the place, soon a tiny ray of light illuminated the room as one of the curtains was slightly drawn to the side to let the sunlight in. _

_The room itself wasn't big but it sure was interesting, It was mostly empty, only a single carpet on the ground and some paintings on the walls were comprising on the room's simplicity. It looked like some sort of a presentation room or something like that, a room where people wanted to exhibit some stuff._

_The most interesting thing stood in the corner, the thing that was covered behind some white sheets was rather thick and reached almost towards the ceiling. Both brothers looked at each other for a brief moment before Sparx darted forward and pulled down the sheets. The foster brothers gasped when the cover cascaded down onto the floor._

" _Here it is" Sparx muttered in awe_

_They were looking upon a very thick twisted tree, it's small branches curled in every direction, some of them even delicately scratched the ceiling, what really caught their attention was a rather appreciable hollow in the middle of its dark brown trunk._

" _How does it work?" Spyro asked intimidated_

_The dragonfly approached the strange tree and reached inside the hollow " He teleports through here"_

_The dragon followed in his brothers footsteps " It doesn't seem to work, nothing's there"_

" _We need to activate it first" Sparx placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully Now I just need to remember…" he began nodding his head the moment his voice trailed off " Yes… a portal appeared when a couple of dragonflies flew inside the hollow at high speed" he mused loudly_

" _Then what are you waiting for?!" Do it!"_

" _Dude weren't you listening? I've said COUPLE, we won't be able to…" his voice trailed off once again when he looked at his purple brother" That's right!" he exclaimed and began circling the dragon while intently examining his body" Yes that would work"_

_Spyro's head constantly turned as he tried to keep up with the dragonfly " What? What will work?"_

" _We might not need any more people here, you will be enough I think"_

_He jerked back " Me?"_

" _Yeah bro, all those other guys would make quite a mess, besides this place would be crowded. But you…let's face it you are a fat dragonfly, you have a size ten times larger than an normal dragonfly"_

_Spyro frowned " I'm not fat!"_

_Sparx rolled his eyes " Whatever, what matters here is that you would be able to open up the portal. How cool is that?"_

_The dragon's eyes shimmered " Then let's do this!" he exclaimed without hesitation " What do I do?"_

_He pointed at the trunk " See that hollow? Run into it at full speed"_

_Spyro looked at the tree " I don't think I'll fit"_

" _Dude no worries, this thing stretches the moment a portal opens"_

" _You sure?"_

" _Don't worry I've got this covered"_

_With an anxious gulp Spyro made his way to the opposite side of the room. There was a turmoil going on inside his head, as he looked upon the tree precariousness and curiosity fought between each other._

" _You sure this is a good idea?" Spyro shuffled his paw along the floor nervously_

_Sparx gave him a firm nod " Yes bro, just run and jump, the hollow will stretch automatically. There is nothing to worry about"_

_After a deep breath Spyro has made up his mind, no risk no fun after all. He started to run, just when he was nearing the tree he jumped in the direction of the hollow. However instead of teleporting himself to another dimension the world went dark and on top of that only his upper body fit into the hollow, his rump remained outside. Grunting Spyro kicked with his hind legs, swung his tail and jerked his lower body as sharply as he could, but to no luck._

" _Sparx I'm stuck!" he exclaimed in horror, the sound of his shout echoed inside the tree_

_Sparx covered his mouth with his hand and began to laugh hysterically_

" _Sparx!" the dragon kept thrashing_

" _I hear you dude, chill!" the dragonfly exclaimed breaking his laughter with difficulty_

" _Help me!"_

_Sparx chuckled while he began circling the tree " Told you that you are fat"_

" _And I've told you that I wouldn't fit!" Spyro growled_

" _Yeah, yeah"_

" _And why it didn't stretch like you said?"_

" _How can I know? The magic-" his voice was cut off when a sudden sound reached him, someone just entered the house, and he wasn't alone " Oh shit" Sparx cussed_

" _What?" Spyro exclaimed horrified ' What's going on?"_

_The dragonfly hastily began to pull the dragon's tail " Someone's here"_

_The purple drake wanted to say something but his eyes only widened at the growing sound of people talking._

" _Get me out of here!" Spyro yelled_

" _I'm trying!"_

_The noise intensified_

" _Faster!"_

" _Be quiet!" Sparx pulled the tail with all his strength, but unfortunately with a tired grunt his hand slipped from it " It's not working"_

" _Try again!" Spyro screamed_

_The dragonfly looked around the room, his eyes narrowed on the sheets laying on the floor near the tree. He picked them up and covered the tree with the protruding purple rump under them " Be quiet and don't move"_

" _What are you doing?!"_

" _Dude be quiet and don't move!" he replied with a hushed tone and left the room through a window_

" _Sparx! Sparx!" Spyro called after his brother in a muffled whisper, but he didn't return. He wanted to shout again but then he heard the door open._

" _This way please" he shivered at the sound of a new male voice_

_Momentarily the room was filled with the sounds of chatter, many of these voices belonged to children. Spyro could hardly make out any words thanks to the noise but from what he could tell the person to whom the male voice belonged to was giving a tour._

" _What is that?" a childish excited voice could be heard_

_Spyro's blood froze when he felt someone stopping just mere meters from his tail._

" _This is my special project" the male voice replied " I don't have a name for it yet since I just recently finished putting it together from the parts I've acquired. You want to see what's behind the sheets?"_

_The cheerful cry made Spyro cringe_

" _You will never forget this sight! Hope you aren't frightened easily!" the voice announced with the most creepy voice he could muster and pulled down the sheets_

_There was a loud gasp of surprise that soon was replaced with a cheerful laughter._

" _What's so funny I-" the male voice trailed off for a moment " What is this?!" he yelled_

" _Dear Ancestors! Is that you Spyro?" the dragon's eyes widened at the sound of a familiar female voice, he exactly knew to whom it belonged to_

" _Mom…?" he muttered_

* * *

Spyro laughed at the memory, he naively believed in the whole planetar story. In truth, the dragonfly who owned the house they so mercilessly broke into was just a collector of all kinds of weird stuff from all around the world. In a way they were lucky that their Mom was taking care of the children at that time, they managed to avoid more serious consequences thanks to Nina's charming personality. At least Sparx didn't lie about one thing back then, people did really look at him from a different perspective.

" What's so funny?" Cynder asked

" Oh nothing, just remembered an old memory. You wouldn't believe in some of the things I would tell you if I would recall all of my childhood memories. Crazy stuff"

" Oh I don't know, I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to crazy. I mean look, we are now facing portals to another worlds. Nothing is impossible"

Spyro smiled inwardly at the irony, he never thought such things like portals existed and now years later he is dealing with the exact thing he never believed in " I suppose you are right"

" I'll tell you more, I think that's only just the beginning, more crazy stuff awaits us"

Spyro smiled " Everyone tells me the same thing, luckily for us we are specialists when it comes to crazy stuff"

Cynder giggled " Tell me about it we-" her voice was cut off and her mouth remained opened when she spotted a shape among the trees in the distance. She narrowed her eyes and the form became more solid, among the trunks stood a purple shape she was so familiar with, the dragon from her dreams was staring at her intently. She blinked, she isn't sleeping there is no way she could see him, yet no matter how many times she fluttered her eyelids the dragon remained standing there.

" Cynder what's wrong?" Spyro's voice brought her back from her trance, she shook her head and looked at him " I…" her gaze returned to the direction where she saw the dragon, however this time he was nowhere to be seen " I…"

" What did you want to say?"

" What? Oh right I…" she smiled weakly " You know I've lost my train of thought, since I've forgot what I wanted to say it had to be unimportant" she chuckled and turned her gaze towards the trees again

Her smile faded instantly, the last time she saw that dragon was when she fell asleep in that lake, she brushed her lips. After that crazy dream the dragon stopped tormenting her, for the past few days she slept like a hatchling, basically she forgot about him. This time however freaked her even more than the dreams, she saw her nightmare while being awake, what does it mean? Why now? And more importantly why he torments her in the first place?

" We are here!" the moles shout caught everyone's attention

As the caravan began to roll down from a small slope, a bridge came into view that connected the island of Munitions Forge to the mainland, the land slowly became more barren, in the distance hot ash and sparks fell from the sky. What really caught everyone's attention was the growing shape of a huge active volcano, Boyzitbig, the home of the moles.

" Boy is it big" Flare mumbled with a voice full of awe the moment he landed near his two companions.


	31. Chapter 13 Book II

Chapter 13

After some long and mostly boring days the group has finally reached their destination. Munitions Forge, the home of the moles and their bipedal relatives that favor undergoing habitant- the Manweersmalls. The home of the moles was nothing else than a mine shaft leading straight into the deepest depths of the volcano.

The outside area surrounding the mine was stripped from any flourishing flora, the volcanic rock that the island consisted of prevented any life green life from thriving there. One could think that also the occasional streams of hot steaming magma rushing through the parts of the terrain would effectively scare any breathing life form.

However that was not the case, some creatures really enjoyed the hot and ashy air. Magma Worms, Fire and Buffalo Beetles were among them. These creatures were unmoved by the high temperature, some of them, like the worms for example even enjoyed a quick swim in the many pools of flowing magma.

Luckily for them no such creature was in their way, when Spyro's travels brought him to Munitions Forge for the first time, which happened during the Corrupted Cynder reign the area was filled with those hostile beasts, which made the road towards the mine shaft so much harder to travel.

During the peaceful time after Malefor's defeat the moles regained finally control of their island, it took them a while to achieve a full domination but eventually they managed to do it, driving the beasts far away from the trading routes. Now as the dragons explored the surrounding area from their vantage point on top of the wagon, they could see some packs of these creatures closely being watched by mole watchman from the safety of their watchtowers.

A small eruption of Boyzitbig caught everyone's attention, Spyro's companions were staring at the volcano intimidated, for him however the noise and sound was familiar, it forced all those unpleasant memories come back to him. The hot ash falling from the sky, bulging flowing lava, sparks dropping on the ground, he had seen all of this before.

His first visit to Munitions Forge happened some years ago, the area surrounding the volcano looked much different back then, the island was still filled with the choking atmosphere but there was no bridge connecting it to the mainland for example. Not to mention that the previously mentioned creatures roamed this area freely, effectively keeping the moles in check inside their underground home.

Spyro didn't come here for a reason, if not for a certain specific someone who involuntary led him here he would never have been here. It was here in Munitions Forge where he fought his way through the underground city filled with Manweersmalls slaves who were forced to fuel Cynder's ape army with new weapons. His goal was to save Terrador when the corrupted dragoness imprisoned the green dragon in the volcano's deepest pit to sap his power into a crystal which she later used to make an attempt to bring Malefor back from his prison in Convexity.

It was here also when he encountered Cynder for the first time, after Spyro saved Terrador the volcano exploded and during his escape he fell right into the dragoness' claws. He remembers the moment perfectly, he was never so scared in his life before, if not for Ignitus who tackled her he would never make it out alive.

Spyro blinked, with a barely noticeable flash the world returned to the way it is now, even after so many years he still returned to the Munitions Forge while on a quest and probably just like before he will encounter something he would never want to see for the first time. If a thing like destiny exists then it seems he is tied to his own and there is no way to liberate himself from it.

Spyro looked at the black dragoness walking next to him, if his fate is sealed, if he is tied to an endless loop of unfortunate circumstances as a purple dragon, he will make the best of it. If his destiny is to face danger after danger that it throws at him he will in all his might repel and counter those attacks. She is the perfect example that if one tries hard enough there is a possibility to bend the rules to your advantage, an example that despite every circumstance one can still walk down his own path.

" What?" Cynder asked playfully seeing his amethyst orbs observing her " There is something on my nose?"

" Nothing" Spyro replied cheerfully averting his gaze

" Don't lie to me, I've seen that smile" she nudged him impishly

" I was smiling?"

" Mhm"

" I…" his voice trailed off the moment he looked at her, he just couldn't help himself but to smile

" Where is it?" Cynder giggled while rubbing her nose

" There is nothing on your nose!" Spyro chuckled

" Then what's with the grin across your whole face?"

Spyro watched his friend closely, perhaps he is destined to struggle with dangers all his life, but if his persistence wins such precious things like her from fate's iron grip than the fight is not for nothing. She is the beacon of hope, she is…the reason for his existence.

" I'm just…happy that you are here with me"

She jerked her head back " Oh?"

" You are the reason for my existence"

His words struck her like a needle directly into her heart, waking it up from its slumber without any painful aftertaste. She averted her gaze blushing " Was that a compliment? Are you sick or something?" she tried to hide her feelings behind some humor

He smiled seeing her embarrassment, besides seeing her smile that was his second best view, even if it was perhaps a bit cruel to think so " If I am then I never want to get healthy again" somehow that revelation about destiny made him voice all his feelings without any waver in his speech, as if his heart was dictating him what to say.

She let out a stifled giggle, she could hear her heart pounding at her chest, she could feel her lungs sucking out all of the air, not to mention that she felt her cheeks becoming hot " I…I…"

" We are here!" a male shout came from ahead of them

Spyro threw a brief glance in that direction before looking at his friend again " Promise me you won't go anywhere"

" I…I…"

" Get a move on you two!" Sparx shout reached them

Spyro's smile widened " Come on, we better get going" he made his way forward

" I…I…" Cynder muttered once more, she raised her head only when she heard him moving away. Her glistening emerald eyes were watching him go.

" I love you" she whispered and with a slowly calming heart followed him

" it's a mine shaft Flare" Sparx sighed with a roll of his eyes

" Are you out of your tree kid?" the mole hissed jaded

Flare looked around confused " I…I guess, I've been with you guys the whole time"

The mole looked at the dragonfly with tiredness in his eyes.

Sparx just shrugged, he then folded his arms when he noticed the two approaching dragons " Hey guys, you are early" he scoffed

" Sorry, something came up" Spyro explained and looked behind his shoulder with a smile

Cynder averted her gaze with a shy giggle

Sparx' eyes widened, he quickly descended towards his brother and patted him in the shoulder " No way, you finally found out? Congrats"

The dragon furrowed his brow " What are you talking about? Found out about what?"

The dragonfly jerked back " I though…" he threw a quick glance at the blushing dragoness, she watched him with confused eyes. With a sigh the dragonflies' shoulders slumped down " You still got it"

" Got what?"

Sparx flew away " Why did I start pestering Flare again?" he muttered under his breath

" What was that all about?" Cynder asked when she joined Spyro

The purple dragon shrugged " That's Sparx, good luck in finding some sense"

There was a metallic grind as the mine's steel door opened. The mole took a deep breath inhaling the scent of mined metal " Home sweet home" he then returned to the caravan

" Wait!" Flare exclaimed horrified when he looked down the slightly steep tunnel " You never said that we were going underground"

Sparx shook his head " Dude what part of _mine shaft_ didn't you understand?"

" What has that to do with anything?"

The dragonfly massaged his temples " Dark underground tunnels are mines"

" Why didn't you say so earlier?!" Flare exclaimed accusingly " I would have never gone with you if I knew!"

" What's the big deal man?"

" I hate cramped places!"

Sparx' eyes widened " I don't believe it. You are clueless, naïve, dim-witted and on top of that claustrophobic?" Boy your teachers must have been proud of you"

" I'm not any of those things! And most definitely I'm not claustrophobic! I just hate tight spaces!" the red dragon growled

Sparx smirked " Do you know what _claustrophobic_ means?"

Flare opened his mouth to voice another protest but his attempt was ceased by realization of his ignorance. He looked at the ground " No"

" I thought so. Is there anything that you can do that can possibly help us?"

" Sparx cut it out" Cynder admonished the dragonfly before turning towards her red companion " Flare why didn't you tell us about your phobia?"

Flare looked at her with confused eyes

" Fear" she corrected herself

The fiery drake shuffled his paw along the ground while staring at it " You never asked"

" Told you Cyn, now we just need to figure out what we didn't ask about yet" Sparx sighed

The dragoness admonished him with an angry frown

" Relax Flare, the city isn't that cramped, it's actually pretty big and there is always an opening in the ceiling you can easily fly away if you want, just remember to time it right" Spyro comforted his fiery companion

The red dragon looked clearly relieved " Really?"

" Yup"

" But… what do you by _time it right_?"

Spyro smiled " You'll see, it's pretty awesome" the caravan has rolled inside, the purple dragon motioned with his head for his companions to follow him " Come on"

The group followed after the caravan, they could hear its wooden wheels rolling down the rocky tunnel, the sound of the moving caravan was becoming less and less audible the longer they walked. Their pace was so slow on purpose, as Spyro led the group down he constantly looked behind himself to check up on his fiery companion. He never met anyone with a phobia before but Ignitus taught him that such fears shouldn't be trifled with, the pace was solely set for Flare, to let him adapt to the new surroundings.

The tunnel took a sharp turn soon after they've entered the mine, the change of direction caused the light of the outside world vanish almost completely, now only the dim illumination of the torches shone on the path. It was then when Flare's breathing intensified, it was obvious he was struggling but despite his fear he was pushing forward. Cynder comforted him the best she could as she slowly escorted him down the tunnel, perhaps it was her soothing words and gestures that made him press onwards.

Soon the tunnel was filled with muffled sounds of people, creaking machines, rolling carts and all other noises a true underground mining city should consist of. Flare's eyes widened at the sight of the first rays of sun dimly illuminating the end of the tunnel, with a sigh of relief his body instantly relaxed.

The temperature noticeable increased but it didn't bother anyone from the little group, such change was expected since this is a city located inside a volcano. As they progressed forward the tunnel was slowly adopting a dark red hue, it had to be a natural light coming from the volcano since no torch, candle or any other light source could be visible farther into the tunnel.

With one last turn the group has reached its destination, every one of them sighed in awe, the reaction was expected from Flare since he never been here, it was somewhat surprising to see also Cynder in shock, or perhaps it was a good thing, the last time she was here she imprisoned the inhabitants of this city, all the better if she can't remember it. However the reaction was completely unexpected from both foster brothers, they have been here already yet it didn't prevent them from gasping in awe at the sight, the city has evolved after their last visit.

The group found itself in a very vast round cavern, what really caught their attention was the perfectly smooth walls, not even a single stalagmite or stalactite could be seen, the rocky spikes were completely removed to ensure safety for the inhabitants. What really was interesting about this city was the peculiar placing of buildings, all of the structures looked like a part of them were inserted into the volcanic walls, the structures formed a one big circle.

In the middle of that circle was a huge hole surrounded by tall metallic walls which weren't here when Spyro visited Munitions Forge for the first time. The hole served only one purpose, since the city is located within an active volcano every now and then it erupts sending all the lava and ash that comes with it up in the air. The wall protected the inhabitants from accidental spills of the magma to the sides, thanks to the wall the moles only concern during an eruption was the slight shaking of the ground, but they lived here all their life, nothing can be done about it so they most likely got used to it by now.

Building a wall without leaving the magma a place to escape was pointless, but as in every volcano there is always an opening in the ceiling to let the lava burst out into the world. A similar opening was located in Munitions Forge, up above was an hole the same size as the one below, when the volcano explodes every product of such eruption is sent flying through that open hole in the ceiling. That way life can thrive underground without interrupting the natural cycle of Boyzitbig while also keeping an eye on the actual time of the day.

What really catches every visitor's attention was the huge hourglass embedded inside a wall. The hourglass was filled with sand and was held by some mechanism gripper device. It was hard to tell if the thing was operated manually or not, whenever the volcano erupts the hourglass is pushed out of the wall and turned around using the gripper devices before settling it into the wall again. Whoever constructed it or is operating it now has a very responsible job, life here would be difficult without knowing exactly when the volcano erupts.

Just like an every mining city should this one also had rails all over the place, above, near the ceiling, below in the hole, outside of the metallic wall, basically everywhere one could see rails. The tracks disappeared into the many holes in the walls that connected them with the other important places in the city. The carts riding the rails had all kind of different metals, gems, weapons or even people inside them, all of the carts rode with open lids. However the moment the volcano erupts and the hourglass changes its position the lids shut down instantly protecting the valuable contents. The eruption lasts only seconds but the immense heat that is produced would melt anything in its why, it was surprising to see that the wall and the carts withstood it, one could only wonder from what they are made of.

The eruption not only shoots hot bulging lava but also produces a great amount of suffocating ash. All of the moles living here would be long dead if they haven't solved that problem. That's why to prevent such horrible outcomes from happening two special mechanism that were folded on the opposite walls of the eruption hole. The moment the volcano exploded and the steaming lava shot above two constructions in the shape of huge bellows unfolded from the walls and started to produce strong gust of air that pushed all the remaining ashes outside through the opening in the ceiling before folding again after a while.

Munitions Forge was built almost like Warfang but instead of going up like in the Dragon City another sections of the town were located on the lower levels. The top level on which the group was right now consisted of many types of shops, starting from simple shops filled with working tools, to jewelers just to end on smiths, smithies in particular are in majority. There were also some barn-like building where all kind of caravan animals were kept before they were escorted by cheetahs back to the surface, there was no chance they would survive otherwise.

Just like carts, also the ground levels were connected with tunnels, there were two more "shop" levels, located adjacent to one another. Basically everyone could find here something that interested him. Like in every city there was also a guard post every now and then, safety is crucial after all.

Some of such tunnels didn't lead into another section of the top level, instead many of them consisted of elevators or stairs leading down below. The middle section of Munitions Forge was filled with houses, hospitals and all sort of other building that are necessary for a city to prosper, including the City Hall. This was the level where the biggest crowds were formed, this section was even louder than the one below it and that's quite a feat.

The lowest level of the town consisted mainly of all sorts of mines, smelters and all other buildings that were necessary to properly prepare the mined metal for further processing. On this level were also tunnels that led to actual mines filled with all kinds of metals, there was no telling just how deep one could go, if there is anyone who might actually find out the line it's the Manweersmalls.

To find out more about the problem with the strange creatures harassing the inhabitants of Munitions Forge the group has to talk with Mole-Yair, the leader of these people. The housing district is located on the second level so that's where they are most likely going to find him.

Finally managing to shake off the paralyzing awe the group still pretty intimidated pressed onwards. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to them as everyone was extremely busy with their work.

" This place is soooo cool" Flare blurt out in sincere admiration

Spyro smiled " Told you it won't be that bad"

" I take it all back, I will never ever again say that I don't want to go with you, I swear!"

The purple dragon wanted to give him a cheerful answer but was cut off by some angry yelling. He looked behind his shoulder and spotted the caravan master who was so kind to give them a lift arguing with one of the Manweersmalls, the former mole was pointing a blaming finger at them. Spyro winced, even without hearing the words he somehow knew what the argument was all about.

" We better hurry" he muttered

Flare out of a sudden darted forward and began scratching the ground with his claw " What's this for?"

The group joined the fiery drake and examined the thing that caught the red dragon's interest. It was a grate with magma flowing beneath it, as far as they could tell it served no purpose

" I don't know" Spyro said " There are many things I don't understand about this city. Let's just leave it and go, we caused enough trouble already"

" They look funny"

The group looked in the direction Flare was staring at, it was obvious that by _they_ he meant the Manweersmalls. Nobody could deny the fact that the red dragon was correct in a way. These creatures were different from the moles living on the surface. They are smaller than a normal mole and they all look alike, at first glance they only differed by the intensity of the greyish coat covering their bodies. These creatures had longer snouts together with bigger claws on their hands and legs, it was a great asset for a creature which spends most of its life digging.

Living underground has also its downfalls, the most tragic one was a weak sight, living in the dark tunnels unfortunately makes the eyes lose their valuable focus, that's why Manweersmalls wear iron hats with a candle on top of them to somehow enhance their vision even if for a little bit. When one of the senses loses its value the other ones try to make up for it, the inhabitants of Munitions Forge have improved sense of hearing and sharp sense of smell.

Because of this sharp sense one of the Manweersmalls started to sniff at the air, moving his nose in a very rat-like fashion.

" SHE'S BACK!" the rodent exclaimed horrified after a while and out of nowhere pulled out a crossbow and pointed it at Cynder while slowly approaching the dragoness.

The dragoness made a slight cautious step backwards " Perfect" she hissed while narrowing her gaze, she was ready to defend herself if necessary

" No, no, no, no, you got it all wrong!" Spyro tried to calm the situation in a very hectic manner

" SHADOW HAS RETURNED!" a cacophony of shouts echoed throughout the cave

The yelling stirred a loud commotion as every available guard started to run towards them with crossbows at the ready

Sparx let out a tired sigh " Here we go again…"

" Please listen to me!" Spyro shouted

His voice managed to stop some of the guards " Spyro is here!" one of them exclaimed joyfully

" Don't let her get away!" the Manweersmalls surrounded the little group, the rodents were so close that the dragons could see their own reflections in the silvery tips of the bolts which were just mere inches from their noses

The purple dragon delicately pushed the tip of the bolt to the side " There is no need for that!" She's with me!"

" She won't get away this time!" the crossbows rattled, especially one of the rodents had troubles to keep his nerves in check, even through the noise they could hear his shaking weapon.

Behind the plenty silvery tips aimed at them and their owners Spyro spotted a shadow being dragged unnaturally towards them, only one dragoness he knew was capable of doing such a thing

" Cynder don't" he whispered warningly, the situation would be far more worse if she would lose her temper

" It's for you" she whispered back, her green eyes never left the guards " I don't want to see you get hurt because of me"

" I'm not going anywhere" he replied bluntly

" There is someone here I don't recognize!" one of the guards yelled

" It has to be one of Cynder's beasts!" a second guard added

" She is here to enslave us again!" the horrified shout of the third guard caused even more uneasiness, the crossbows rattled once again, the shaking of one of the weapons intensified. The only thing preventing the Manweersmalls from releasing a barrage of bolts was Spyro's presence.

" Why I am the beast?" Flare's voice stirred the guards even more, Cynder's eyes rested on the young rodent with the shaking hands who aimed his weapon now at the red dragon

" Dude it's not really the time for this" Sparx whispered

" You better put that weapon down kid or you might accidently shoot someone" Cynder said coldly, the young rodent turned the weapon towards her, the dragoness narrowed her eyes on him

" You are not my master!" the young manweersmall cried out, the crossbow rattled in his hands " You won't tell me what to do!"

" Ok everybody, take it easy" Spyro said firmly, gaining the attention of some of the guards " Cynder doesn't mean you any harm, she's with me and we just came here to solve your bug problem. We need to speak to Mole-Yair so if you please let us pass" he threw a quick nervous glance at the shaking weapon of the young rodent

" You and your brother can go" said one of the guards " You are most welcome here, but she and that strange thing is staying with us"

" Hey!" Flare growled " I'm not a thing!" the crossbows now aimed at the fiery drake

" Dude what did I tell you?" Sparx whispered " If you want to keep your hide shut up!"

" I'm not going anywhere without them" Spyro challenged the manweersmall

" Then we have a problem" the guard responded

" I'm not a monster!" the red dragon growled baring his teeth

" You are a dragon, now chill dude or you get us all killed!" the dragonflies' mumbled nervously

" Shadow you better calm down your pet" one of the guards hissed threateningly

" Flare is not my pet!" Cynder snarled " You better show him some respect!"

The crossbows now aimed at her " Beasts don't deserve respect"

" Stop calling me a beast!" Flare growled, the silvery tips sifted instantly at him

" Guys please!" Spyro's plea reached deaf ears

" Silence your freak Shadow!" a guard exclaimed

" I'm not a FREAK!" Flare roared

Cynder noticed the guards backing down nervously as the dragon adopted a offensive posture, their weapons were set on her new companion, especially the young rodent caught her attention, he seemed to be barely holding it together. All of the crossbows were now at a brink of being used, she could hear their strings stretching to their limits. She has to do something or someone will get hurt because of her past actions.

Cynder adopted an offensive stance, her move didn't go unnoticed

" Don't do anything stupid bitch" a guards hissed mockingly, making some of the other rodents together with the young one aim at her

Cynder ignored the insult and the warning, the dragoness roared furiously and jerked her body forwards as if she prepared to pounce, yet it was only a provocation, she remained in place. It was then when the sound of a released bolt was heard, momentarily there was a scream of pain.

Everything went silent, Cynder looked over her body, she noticed some blood on the ground but there was no wound ripping her scales. Then she spotted a purple shape groaning on the ground just in front of her paws. Her senses returned to her the moment she noticed a droplet of blood which was growing in the place where the bolt got stuck in Spyro's purple scales.

Guilt, hate, pain and sorrow struck her heart all at once filling her with such uncontrollable rage, her green eyes flared up and with a roar of rabidity she threw herself at the shocked young mole. The rodent let out a scream of anguish as the claws of one of her paws sunk into his shoulder and brought him to the ground with the dragoness on top of him.

Driven by rage Cynder rose her second paw in the air, claws at the ready to steal the young life " I'm going to tear you to shreds!" she roared

" Shoot her now!" a horrified guard's order sounded

Before the crossbows could fire there was a sudden earthquake that violently shook everybody.

" ENOUGH!" Spyro roared as soon as the stony round cover turned transparent just to fade completely moments later. There was something in his voice that made everyone stop in their actions and look at him with respect " This is where pointless arguments lead us! We defeated Malefor just to fight with ourselves?! What if a new threat arises? We won't be able to work together because stupid superstitions will..." Spyro groaned as the bolt protruding from the place just next to his elbow sent a painful sting.

" Spyro!' Cynder exclaimed fearfully and darted towards him

Sparx beaten the dragoness however " Bro, are you alright?

The purple dragon winced " I'm fine"

" Dude you have a bolt stuck in you, we need to get a healer here!"

" Sparx' right, we are getting you out of here" Cynder added with a voice full of concern

" I'm sorry!" the young guard shouted as he got up to his feet

" Just stop talking" the dragonfly replied coldly without even throwing the manweersmall a single glance

" Cynder you know exactly that a single bolt won't kill me"

" Still you shouldn't pull it out yourself when there is a healer around here somewhere" Cynder admonished her purple friend " What if the tip breaks?"

" Get a healer here!" one of the guards barked an order towards one of his subordinates

" It won't break relax" Spyro comforted his female friend before groaning, he began to lower on his paws " I just need to lie down for a moment before I pull it out" With a painful wince plastered on his snout Spyro dropped on the ground

Cynder lowered her head towards him " I'm sorry Spyro" she whispered tenderly

He smiled " No harm done" they both impulsively looked at the protruding bolt, his smile widened when he looked at her " You know what I meant" she giggled weakly

" I hate seeing you get hurt"

" I hate to see you getting hurt also, but unfortunately it's our job, we need to bare it"

" He did WHAT?!" an outraged male voice not belonging to any of the guards rang through the cave " I swear the next time this kid will-" the manweersmall's eyes widened when he spotted the group of companions ahead " Get out of there!" he shouted at the top of his lungs

They all looked confused at the running rodent

" I"VE SAID MOVE!" there was a sound of the hourglass shifting and momentarily the whole cavern began to shake slightly

Before the group could react it was already too late, the grate below them heated instantly, they looked down just to see a steaming flame heading in their direction, their eyes widened there was no chance they could avoid the hot flame now.

" Get close!" Flare yelled while grabbing the dragonfly in his paw while spreading his wings to cover both of his draconic companions just to place himself in between them

Cynder let out a stifled yelp and closed her eyes when she heard the burning flame burst through the grate, yet somehow she didn't feel the flame reaching her, somehow she wasn't burned. The dragoness slowly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight, her reaction made also Spyro to look around his surroundings with wide eyes.

They were encased in some sort of a bubble, some sort of transparent shield that protected them from the heat outside, they could see the flames spreading all around the shield making it burn, if they weren't in a life threating situation this was quite a sight to behold. Between both of them was Flare with his head hanging low and eyes closed, a frown of pure concentration was plastered on his snout. The whole protection shield lasted maybe for a minute before it vanished and all the dancing flames were dragged into every fiery part of Flare's body, the fiery parts seemed to emit a brighter flame the moment the volcano's fire connected with them.

Sparx burst out from the red dragon's paw the moment the coast was clear " Dude that was AWESOME!" the dragonfly exclaimed letting out all of the nerves in one shout " You saved our asses there"

" That shield looked almost like the shield that Ignitus created when we crossed the Belt of Fire" Spyro commented thoughtfully " However there was something strange to it"

" Who cares?" the dragonfly blurt out " It protected us!" he patted the red dragon in the shoulder " Dude it seems you have your uses, I could kiss you!"

" Flare?" Cynder asked concerned seeing as he was still remaining in the same position

After a moment the red dragon took a deep breath just like he would resurface after swimming underwater for a while. He then opened his eyes, it was then when a gasp escaped from Cynder's snout, for a brief moment she saw two dancing flames inside his yellow eyes, seconds later his slits again adopted a black color.

" Happy to help" Flare's voice was hoarse and stripped of any emotion

Despite the pain Spyro pulled himself up, wincing in pain as he did so " Are you alright?"

Flare quickly averted his gaze and shut his eyes " I'm fine" there was still the same hoarse sound to his voice yet this time he seemed to be agitated

The three friends looked at each other in confusion, then Cynder approached the red dragon and touched his back, his whole body shivered

" Thank you Flare" she said with a kind voice full of gratitude " You saved our lives"

He took a wavering breath " No problem"

She furrowed her brow, it was odd that after saving someone else's life he doesn't show any sign of happiness, Cynder didn't give up she approached the dragon once more

" I mean it, we wouldn't be here if not for you'

With another breath he looked at her and smiled bashfully " You're welcome" his demeanor slowly returned to its normal self

Sparx delicately elbowed his brother " There is something seriously wrong with this guy" he whispered

Spyro observed their new companion closely, he was unsure of his full capabilities but it seemed that whenever Flare is using his abilities he pays for it dearly which all in all was very strange since dragons are supposed to be naturals when it comes to wielding elemental powers.

" What are you waiting for?" the manweersmall healer shouted " Get out of there!"

Concerns regarding Flare were put aside for the time being as the yell reminded the whole group in what position they are currently in, luckily for them the guards after the recent events stopped bothering them. It was a relief for all of them to leave that deadly grate behind.

" What were you thinking?" the rodent admonished them

" What we were thinking?!" Sparx blurt out outraged while pointing at the grate" We almost got toasted there! Who in the hell puts a grate that spits flames in the middle of a town?!"

" You have the nerve to put this on me?!" the healer growled irritated " If you would find the time to read the warning signs nothing like that would happen!"

The dragonfly snorted " What warning signs?" he once again pointed at the area where the grate was placed " Look and tell me where do you see a sign saying " Warning! Fry-ass zone!"

The manweersmall threw his hands in the air " And they call us blind!" he then looked in the direction the dragonfly pointed at and squinted. With a focused frown he began to adjust the candle on his hat to see better.

" Fucking hell!" the rodent blurt out causing everyone to jerk back at his sudden and unexpected outburst " I've forgot to place that damn sign again!"

" AGAIN?!" Sparx repeated in disbelief " Just how many people you fried on that thing!"

" Cry me a river. You are alive aren't you? So stop bothering me" the manweersmall hissed even more irritated

" Why the hell did you put that thing there?!"

" Man, we are small, you can't seriously expect us to defend ourselves with crossbows when we are nearly blind. This is our new defense system, I admit that it is yet in its initial phase hence the accidents but when it will be ready we will be invincible! And then let Cynder show her tail here again, we are going to toast her and throw her carcass to the worms!" the rodent cackled menacingly

" Charming" Cynder scoffed

Sparx folded his arms " Then I guess you aren't aware that she is standing just right next to you"

" Wha-" the healer didn't finish his sentence, the moment he laid his eyes on the dragoness he jumped back screaming horrified " Shadow is here! Kill her! Shoot her now!"

Spyro growled and stepped in between his friend and the screaming rodent, if there was a guard that still thought to rise his weapon at the dragoness he never pursued the idea seeing how the angry purple dragon stood in her protection.

" You will stop yelling things like that!" the dragon snarled " She is my companion, and my companions deserve respect whether you like it or not! So please stop acting on superstitions because it leads to misunderstandings and provocations that end like this!" he growled and pointed at the bolt sticking out from his hide

The manweersmall stared at the drake for a while with wide eyes and opened mouth before his gaze lowered and focused on the wound. The bloody spot that was now covering the purple scales of the dragon forced his healer's instinct to kick in, his concentration returned in a mere moment, it almost looked like he completely forgot about everything around him, his attention was solely drawn to the injury.

" So you are the guy that idiot shot" the healer stated with his typical pleasant attitude, pulled the hem of his shirt and approached the dragon

" Accidents happen"

The healer snorted " He is dumb, and dumb people should never carry weapons"

Spyro threw the guard that shot him a quick glance " He's still young, he will learn"

" Yeah, you tell me that again when you get a bolt between your eyes" the rodent began to examine the injury "A nasty wound" he unstrapped a bag from his belt " Still it's pretty amazing to see you walk after this, everyone else would be moaning themselves to death"

" Dragons can take quite a beating until they fall"

" I know that, I'm not an idiot like that guy over there, stop bragging"

Spyro rolled his eyes, being polite has its cost

The healer firstly wiped off the blood from around the bolt before he started to smear a greasy substance around the wound. He then grabbed the protruding end of the projectile

" I'm going to pull it out slowly but it's still going to sting a little"

" I'm ready. This isn't my first time" the moment Spyro stopped talking he let out a stifled scream of pain as the bolt was removed from his body with one fast move

" What happened to _slowly_?" he hissed wincing in pain

" Stop bragging" the healer replied coldly while he covered the bleeding wound with the same greasy substance " This will stop the bleeding, your regeneration will take care of the rest"

" Thank you, while we still here could you tell us where can we find Mole-Yair?

The rodent packed his belongings " The building he's in is just below us"

Spyro nodded " Thank you again" he motioned for the rest of the group to follow him

They've made their way through the upper level without any further accidents, even the guards left them alone. The group was only greeted with glances filled with nervousness and despise.

" What is this?" Flare asked when they were passing by a stony floor with a lever set inside it. A similar lever was seen just in front of the vertical structure of metallic rails that the floor used to slide on as it moved

" That's a lift" Sparx explained

" What does it do?"

" it allows us to change levels without using the stairs"

Spyro glanced towards the mentioned stairs " Let's use the lift"

Cynder smiled after hearing his proposition, as a group they have to look out for each other. Flare in his excitement jumped into the lift as first. Cynder nodded towards the lever when everyone was inside

" Pull it"

" Wait!" a shout reached them, soon three manweersmalls appeared smiling gratefully, however when they spotted the black dragoness their expressions changed drastically

" Wrong lift" one of the rodents announced and shoved the other two out of the group's sight

" Cynder was in there!" the loud whisper didn't go unnoticed

"Why they hate you so much?" Flare asked " You are so nice"

Cynder blushed at the compliment

" Her kindness intimidates them" Sparx' sarcastic remark made two dragons who knew the truth laugh

" Pull the lever Flare" Cynder said smiling

The red dragon did as he was told and the lift began its descent, after he shook of his fascination by the strange machinery he looked at the dragoness again " So? Why do they hate you?"

Cynder sighed " it's a long story Flare, at the end of which you will no longer find me so nice anymore" she smiled flirtatiously " And I would like to stay nice for you"

Spyro observed them in silence, something about the way they were talking made his heart sting, the view also filled it with unexplained dislike for the fiery dragon.

Sparx smirked seeing his brother's reaction, to nag him further he started to hover just right next to his head

" Seems like you have a competitor" he whispered

The purple shook his head " What?"

The dragonfly turned towards the two talking dragons " Flare is playing it well, Cynder seems to enjoy it"

Spyro narrowed his eyes on his brother " What are you talking about?"

" Makes you wonder if she will fall for his advances, they would make a good couple"

The purple dragon growled " So? She can do whatever she wants"

Sparx looked at his brother with a corner of his eye, a devilish twitch could be seen on the corner of his mouth " And you would be absolutely ok with it?"

Tiny flames shot from Spyro's nostrils " Of course!"

" Huh" the dragonfly turned towards the two dragons again " I wonder if they will kiss" he said after a moment of silence

His foster brother let out a stifled roar " I'm going to-" his voice was cut off by the lift's sudden stop, it seemed like it has reached its destination. Both cheerfully laughing dragons left the lift with the dragonfly following them. Spyro however remained in the same spot, watching the red dragon with almost hateful gaze.

Both young dragons stopped their happy conversation when they figured out something is missing. Flare turned towards the lift

" Hey, are you coming?"

Spyro growled quietly before he left the lift, as he passed by the fiery drake he fixed him with a cold gaze " Follow me" he announced with an irritated tone

Flare furrowed a brow as he looked at the dragonfly " What's got into him?"

Sparx adopted a dramatic expression " A heart is an irresistible advisor" with that he flew past by the two dragons

Cynder and Flare looked at each other in confusion and shrugged before they started to follow the two foster brothers.

At first glance this level of Munitions Forge seemed more chaotic than the upper one, it was almost like they would be entering the city center of a huge town where people rushed through their lives always seeking the goal they have set for the recent day. Munitions Forge was no different, the group was moving in between crowds of manweersmalls and the moles from above, even a cheetah every now and then could be seen, surprisingly nobody paid them any attention, not even the guards that patrolled the streets bothered them. The word must got out of their arrival, and it seemed like it already spread.

Even if they couldn't see anything they could still sense the hostile atmosphere hanging in the air, but at least this time nobody tried to put their feelings into action. Moles were running back and forth, some were seeking shops but not the traditional ones with food, pottery and the like, most rodents found their way to shops filled with all kind of tools, mechanical parts and other whatnot that were scattered on this level. Technology geeks for life.

As the group progressed through the level a building in the distance caught their attention, it looked like a big mine shaft, but instead of going down the tunnel led straight into the volcano's wall. They were absolutely sure who will they find inside thanks to the sign carved above the entrance saying _Munitions Forge Core. _Even regarding signs the manweersmalls were true to their mining nature.

They've entered the building, despite its outside look the interior didn't resemble a mine at all. Just like in every other structure in the city this one also avoided any wooden surfaces, everything was made out of stone or metal while also being adorned with all kind of gems. This place seemed to be a home and a meeting hall in one where the manweersmalls could seek guidance of their leader.

The mole they were looking for was in the room occupying a big stony table all by himself, the room was completely dark, if not for the light shining from outside thanks to the opened door they would never see the manweersmall in the first place. Mole-Yair didn't look special, he had the features like any other natural inhabitant of Munitions Forge, he even wore the same looking iron hat with a candle on top of it, there were only slight differences between him and the other manweersmalls.

The first characteristic that really stood out was his coat, it had a more darker hue, almost reaching the point where it adopted a complete black color. He also was the owner of the longest whiskers they ever seen, two long silvery tendrils dangled down from both sides of his long snout. The last characteristic that differed him from the rest of the population couldn't be seen from afar, it was his eyes. While the manweersmalls still retain a portion of their sight, the same thing couldn't be said about their leader, Mole-Yair was completely blind. However that disadvantage didn't stop him from retaining the position of a leader.

Mole-Yair sniffed the air the moment the door closed and shrouded the entire room in complete darkness " Ah Spyro, long time no see" he lit a candle on the table

" _See _is a wrong verb here" Sparx commented

Spyro delicately slapped his brother with his wing to hush him

" I see…" the manweersmall pronounced the word slowly with a bitter tone "…that your brother is with you. Good, everyone enjoys his company"

Sparx ignored the sarcastic and somewhat rude tone, he elbowed his brother " I'm popular"

Mole-Yair sniffed the air again " One scent I don't recognize but I'm way too familiar with the other one. Way, way too familiar to my liking"

" I've told you that I needed a bath!" Cynder blurt out quietly at Spyro, keeping a playful mood even despite the mole obviously wasn't sharing her feelings

The dark colored rodent sat there in silence, his claws were slowly tapping on the stony table " Come closer girl" he said sternly after a while

Cynder threw Spyro a surprised look, he however returned her the same glance. Both dragons looked at the mole again just to focus on each other moments later. Spyro delicately nodded towards the leader of Munitions Forge, the dragoness sighed, her friend was right, no need to make the situation any more worse by disobeying. Cynder stopped in front of the rodent, her green eyes slimly shone, illuminated by the burning candle.

Sparx grinned and put his hands on both sides of his mouth " And what do you see?" he exclaimed and cackled

Spyro fixed his foster brother with an angry look " Sparx shut up!" he hissed

Mole-Yair ignored the snide remark, he watched the dragoness with his milky eyes, suddenly he touched her snout, that made her jerk back in surprise " I may not see the world around me anymore, but losing one of your senses makes the other remaining ones more sensible. I can feel things other people don't and right now I feel that you have changed girl"

Cynder gulped " That's good?"

The mole didn't answer, he just leaned closer " What do you think of Spyro?" he whispered

Her green eyes widened for a moment, luckily for her the mole had no chance to see her surprise " He's my friend, I would do anything for him" she whispered back

Mole-Yair smiled " My, my, the irony" he took a breath " The once greatest enemy of the Realms fell in love with our Savior. Ancestors have a wicked sense of humor"

" Wha…how…." she closed her eyes to calm herself down " I have no idea what are you talking about"

" Don't deny it girl, don't forget what I told you about my senses. I could hear your heart jumping in your chest when I mentioned his name"

Cynder narrowed her eyes " I don't see how my personal feelings are any business of yours"

His milky eyes focused entirely on her " Denial, the most common way of showing that we are harboring secrets. And from what I can tell that's not the only secret you have"

" Damn" she huffed with faked amazement " You sure developed some skills"

" Sarcasm, another betrayer of secrets. But you won't fool me girl, even if I can feel that you changed, deep down you remained the same. Only someone who experienced your cruelty first hand will recognize that Shadow has a way of concealing herself."

She bit her lip, she can't deny the fact that there is something happening with her that she can't explain. The strange dreams and hallucinations, hard to say what it all means but one thing is certain, they scare the hell out of her. However she can't admit it, she won't give the rodent the satisfaction " Stop it, if you plan to tell on me then do it, I'm tired of your games"

Mole-Yair sighed " I'm trying to open your eyes, you are torn between love and reason. You need to give up of the first feeling, the sign that you are scared of the thing that happens to you is a good omen but it won't last. I've seen the darkness in your eyes, I've seen what you are capable of, you better leave and never look back or you might hurt the people you love"

Cynder snorted " I'm not going anywhere. You lost your sight I get it, happens but give me a break and spare me the typical image of a blind sage who can see the future. It's tiring"

" I'm not trying to talk big, I'm trying to open your eyes to your ignorance. Why do you think Malefor chose you? Maybe because you already possessed the corruptive force within you that he only activated? Didn't you think about it? Perhaps the darkness is fallowing you like you Shadow were once following us. If you care for the people you are with, you will go your own way"

Cynder growled " Listen, stop telling me what to do, I can take care of myself and more importantly I can take care of my friends. Don't worry"

" Is that so? Then how do you explain Spyro being shot for your crimes just a moment ago?"

" I…" her voice trailed off, he hit the right spot. Spyro's injury was all her fault " I won't let anything like that happen again"

Mole-Yair shook her head delicately as if trying to bring her to her senses " You can't possibly promise that, even you can hear the uncertainty in your voice. Leave before things get worse, if you won't be distracted there is a chance you might win this fight with yourself"

" Oh, now you are suddenly worried about me?"

" Your fate is no concern of mine, for me Shadow should disperse together with The Dark Master, but that's not the case right now. You need to leave, that's the only way you will protect your friends"

Cynder narrowed her gaze, she could barely hold back her temper. She did wrong, she deserves all kind of punishment and insults thrown her way but the rodent has no right to demand that she abandons her only harbor of normality in this world. Even if she wanted to leave she just wouldn't be able to.

" I'm not going anywhere. Live with it" she whispered firmly

Mole-Yair shook his head " Then go and enjoy the happy moments while you still can because evil never rests. May Ancestors watch over us all" he leaned back into his chair and looked at the group gathered in the distance " Come closer, I'm too old to shout!" the mole's voice changed completely, the bitter tone was replaced by sincere happiness, just like nothing ever happened.

The group approached the table where the manweersmall was seated, as they got closer everyone looked at Cynder. Worry shined in Spyro's eyes when he noticed just how agitated she is.

" I know that I'm repeating myself " the rodent continued " But I hope the next time we meet will be under better circumstances"

Sparx turned from Cynder towards the manweersmall, he eyed the rodent with an angry frown " Let's skip the sweet-talking and get to the point"

Mole-Yair fixed the dragonfly with an irritated glance, however he remained silent as if waiting for something. Uncountable moments later he let out a sigh while throwing the dragoness a defeated quick glance " There is no much I can tell you I'm afraid" he focused on the purple dragon again " That's why we sent you one of the bugs we managed to capture hoping that Volteer will make any sense of it, and more precisely find out a way to exterminate them completely"

" That's not a bug" Flare corrected the manweersmall

Sparx rolled his eyes " Dude, give it a rest"

" What?"

The dragonfly shook his head " Be quiet"

" I just hope Spyro that you know what are you doing by bringing your friends here" Mole-Yair said

The purple dragon ignored the rodent's worry and focused solely on their mission " What caused the bugs to appear?"

" That's the problem, we don't know. The critters just appeared in the tunnels one day and started attacking the miners, we had several casualties already. I'm aware that you have done enough for us already but you are the only one that can change the unknown and prove victorious. So here I ask you, will you help us again Spyro?"

" No"

The manweersmall jerked back horrified

" No, I won't help you because I wouldn't be able to. However WE will help you" Spyro put emphasis on the word _we_ as if mocking the rodent's skepticism from before " I am nothing without my companions, I want people to finally remember that"

Mole-Yair dropped his head down in shame, even if reluctantly " Of course"

" Tell us where to go, no need to put more innocent lives at risk by wasting time talking"

The rodent smiled gratefully " I'll show you…"

* * *

The group stood at the entrance to one of the mining tunnels

" The miners inside will fill you in. Let's just hope that The Dark Master didn't have a paw in this. Best of luck to you" Mole-Yair patted the young dragon on his shoulder and returned slowly the way they came here

Spyro looked down the dark tunnel " So guys, what's the plan?"

Cynder stepped into the tunnel, the darkness embraced her lustfully, she turned around and smiled " We improvise" with that she continued her descent

Flare observed his companions slowly disappearing into the darkness ahead " I hate cramped places" he muttered and slowly began to follow the group. The moment the darkness touched his red scales he gulped " I have a bad feeling about this"


End file.
